Seasonal flu is an issue that Campus Health Service deals with each year, but pandemic flu is another story.
Allan Markus, medical director for Campus Health Service, said that in addition to providing flu shots on campus to treat seasonal flu, ASU is also working to prepare the campus for any possible case of a pandemic flu outbreak.
"We're developing a plan so that students can feel assured if anything should happen to cause a pandemic flu," he added.
This plan is being developed at multiple levels in the University, including Campus Health, Environmental Health Services, Campus Life, Residential Life, among others, Markus said.
More information is unavailable at this time, but Markus said that students should rest assured that there is a plan.
"It's more about how do we respond to take care of students on our campus," Markus said.
For now, Campus Health Service has been working to provide students, faculty and staff with plenty of opportunities to get vaccinated for the seasonal flu.
Nurses from Campus Health Service have been administering flu shots in the Memorial Union since Jan. 10.
This year, Campus Health Service nurses have also given students the opportunity to be vaccinated by visiting residence halls. Flu shots were available last week at Hassayampa, Manzanita and Palo Verde East.
Students can still get vaccinated at Campus Health Service by appointment or by walking in.
The vaccine costs $10 and can be charged to the student's Sun Card.
"The actual flu vaccine costs $10.54, so we're actually losing money on this... but we think that it's so important for our students to get vaccinated [that] we're going to take a loss on this to make sure as many students as possible get vaccinated," Markus said.
Graduate student Laurie Rogers said that the cost of the vaccine is reasonable. She has been getting the flu shot for several years and thinks the shot is worth her time, she said.
"I can't afford to get really sick right now," she added.
Markus said that getting the vaccine is necessary because it can cut down on future sick days.
"If we can avoid one less day of missing school or missing work or whatever it happens to be, for some of us that can be really important," he said.
Symptoms of the flu include fever, muscle aches, fatigue and diarrhea.
"I think a lot of people don't realize how sick the flu can make you," Rogers said.
Markus said that he hopes as many students get vaccinated as possible.
"I would love to see us use all our vaccine and next year have to go and get more," he said.
Rogers said that many students are hesitant to get the vaccine.
"A lot of people are scared of shots," Rogers said.
Students may also believe the common myth that the flu shot may actually bring on the flu.
"You can't get the flu from the flu shot," Markus said.
He said that possible reactions to the shot are not the same as having the flu.
"What the vaccine does is it turns on your immune system so that all things that normally happen to people when they get the flu... happen because what we're doing is we're building up the body's way to fight off the real flu when it comes," Markus said.
Rogers has been getting the flu shot for several years, and said that getting vaccinated is the right decision.
"The flu is awful," she said. "You should get the flu shot."
Reach the reporter at: stephanie.naufel@asu.edu.
