Although the flu season has begun, there have been no reported cases in Arizona according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (Photo illustration by Alexis Macklin)The dreaded cold and flu season has descended upon the nation, just in time to ruin Halloween plans and make studying for upcoming exams unbearable.
“Flu season” began in the beginning of October, but so far, there have been no reported cases of influenza in Arizona, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The amount of cases usually reaches its peak during the period between December and February, according to the the CDC, but they caution that outbreaks can begin in October and last through May.
According to the CDC’s website, this year is expected to yield relatively few flu cases nationwide. Select states, including Florida and North Dakota, have seen more cases, but no states have reached what the CDC classifies as “widespread” flu activity.
Despite the low number of cases so far this year, the CDC and Arizona Department of Health Services recommend that all citizens receive the flu vaccine.
Accountancy freshman Brittany Yee said she came down with a cold about three weeks ago, which interrupted studying for midterms and disrupted her first semester of college.
Still, Yee said she does not plan to get the flu vaccine.
“I’ve never gotten the shot before, and I’ve never gotten the flu,” she said. “My parents never made me do it as a kid, and I don’t plan to get one this year either.”
According to the CDC, the shot's effectiveness can vary depending on the age and health of the person being vaccinated, and the strains of the flu that the shot protects against. Scientists try and predict which strains will be the most common during the flu season and immunize against those.
However, if the strain that is most common does not match the strain in the vaccine for that year, it is possible for the shots to have less of an immunizing effect, the CDC reports.
Business law freshman Emily Hoyt said she has gotten multiple colds and strep throat throughout the semester.
“I have been sick lots of times already this semester,” Hoyt said. “I had the flu before, when I was in elementary school, but I haven’t had it since then.”
Biomedical engineering freshman Nermin Elsharawy said she is not planning on getting the vaccine and has so far avoided catching a cold during cold season.
“I was sick at the very beginning of the semester, but that’s really about it,” she said.
At ASU, the health services department has hosted multiple vaccination events and will continue through the end of the week. The events are taking place at three of the campuses.
The clinics, which have been hosted throughout October, give students an opportunity to affordably receive the vaccine in a convenient location. Students are asked to bring their Sun Card and proof of insurance to the clinic.
If a student does not have health insurance, the vaccine costs $20. Most insurance plans, including the ASU Aetna and Bridge plan, cover the vaccine entirely.
Tempe students will be able to get vaccinated at the Barrett, the Honors College Residential Complex from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Thursday, and students at the Downtown campus can attend the clinic on Friday, which will be located on the first floor of the Taylor Place Residence Hall.
If a student wishes to get vaccinated and cannot attend one of the clinics scheduled, they can go to the ASU Health Services at any campus to receive the vaccine. Appointments are not necessary.
Reach the reporter at cvanek@asu.edu or follow her on Twitter @CorinaVanek
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