With 1,500 students and staff already vaccinated and 2,200 doses left, ASU Campus Health Service officials said they don't anticipate a shortage of flu shots like last year.
A nationwide shortage during the 2004-05 flu season forced ASU to turn away students and administer the flu shot only to high-risk patients. Officials don't know exactly how many were denied the vaccine.
This year, however, the Campus Health Service has enough vaccinations to meet demand, said Nursing Supervisor Lori Lynn.
"We encourage as many people as possible to get the flu shot," Lynn said.
Registered nurses from Campus Health will administer flu shots to students at clinics from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. today and Nov. 14 in the Memorial Union fireplace study area.
A third clinic will make the vaccinations available to faculty and staff from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. Nov. 16 on the second floor of the MU.
Lynn said the clinics are part of Campus Health's efforts to make the flu shot available and convenient to students and staff.
Last year, the bulk of ASU's flu shot supply was turned over to Maricopa County because of the nationwide shortage, Lynn said.
That shortage occurred when manufacturer Chiron Corp.'s license to produce the vaccine was suspended for three months due to contamination.
At least five cases, including one death from flu-related complications, have already been reported in Maricopa County this year, said Dr. Stefanie Schroeder, chief of the medical staff at Campus Health.
About 36,000 people die and more than 200,000 people are hospitalized from flu complications each year, according to the Centers for Disease Control.
Those statistics, however, usually apply to the elderly, and shouldn't alarm students, Schroeder said.
"The regular flu is not dangerous for young, healthy people," Schroeder said.
The flu shot is about 80 percent effective in preventing influenza virus infection, and people who get the flu even with a vaccination typically experience lesser symptoms, she added.
Other precautions like regular hand washing, disinfecting surfaces at home and staying home if infected can all help in preventing or decreasing flu symptoms, she said.
Those symptoms can include high fever, headache, extreme tiredness, dry cough, sore throat, runny nose, muscle aches and nausea.
A healthy diet, sleep and abstaining from alcohol are also key, Schroeder added.
For students who do contract the flu, a visit to a doctor within 48 hours may help, but usually beating the virus is simply a matter of waiting it out.
"It's a tough call to say stay home or come in," Schroeder said. "We don't want you staying home and getting sicker and sicker, but we also don't want you coming in and infecting others."
Reach the reporter at ann.censky@asu.edu.
