Annual Flu Shots for UF Students, Faculty and Staff

Phillip Barkley, MD, Director

The Student Health Care Center is launching its annual Influenza Prevention Campaign beginning October 14, 2003 and running through mid December. UF students, faculty, and staff can receive their influenza vaccine injection at any of a number of clinics across campus. To access a printable listing of these clinics, go to our web site www.health.ufl.edu/shcc

Persons most at risk for developing problems associated with Influenza are those with:

• Chronic illnesses such as heart, lung, kidney or metabolic diseases such as asthma, diabetes or blood disorders.
• Weakened immune systems due to HIV/AIDS, cancer treatments, or certain drug treatments.
• Health care workers and their families.
• Persons 50 years of age or older.

College campuses like ours are at increased risk due to large numbers of students living together and taking classes in crowded classrooms.

Influenza vaccine will be administered FREE to eligible UF students this year, but will be $15 (cash only) for UF faculty and staff.

Your college or department may also want to schedule a time on FRIDAYS for a team to come to your location. To schedule this, call 392-1161 ext. 1-4217 and leave your name, phone number, location on campus and the approximate number of persons desiring the flu shot. To make this service available, we need a minimum of 20-25 interested faculty, staff and students. Please specify a preferred Friday date and an alternative. The campaign coordinator will contact you in a timely manner to confirm scheduling of this service. Our team will be able to visit each department and college only one time.

For your information, a new live trivalent nasally administered vaccine, Flu Mist™, is now also available for the prevention of influenza. The vaccine is costly and not approved for persons 50 years of age and older, nor is it approved for persons with any chronic illness. The Student Health Care Center will have limited doses available for persons interested in this product at the cost of $55.

The Student Health Care Center’s primary goal with this campaign is a healthier campus. Getting your annual flu shots early will help staff and students to stay healthy. Remember, it takes two weeks for immunity to develop after receiving the injection.

Please direct questions to 392-1161 ext. 1-4217, or email chari@ufl.edu