Getting a flu shot is free and easy at the Marriott Center this week and will help keep our campus safe.
This year it’s especially important to get a flu shot. And it’s especially easy!
Monday through Friday from 9 am to 5 pm this week the BYU Student Health Center and the BYU Public Health Association (BPHA) are providing free flu shots at the Northeast and Southeast corners of the Marriott Center. Getting a flu shot is quick and simple and can make a big difference for the campus community.
Gabe Ghanadan, president of the BPHA, explains the importance of getting a flu shot, especially during the pandemic, saying, “Getting vaccinated will lessen the likelihood of contracting the flu, help prevent misdiagnosis of COVID-19 and preserve healthcare resources during the pandemic. It is also possible to have the flu at the same time as other diseases, such as COVID-19, which could lead to severe consequences.”
Lori Spruance, faculty leader of the BPHA, says “Some of the major reasons to consider getting the flu shot are: 1) healthy people can die from the flu too, 2) if you happen to get the flu, your illness will be milder, and 3) it helps establish herd immunity which is important for those who are unable to get the vaccine.”
And Mike Barnes, Associate Dean of the College of Life Science adds, “Now more than ever, you and I can strengthen COVID-19 prevention efforts by boosting immunity against the seasonal flu. By warding off seasonal flu through an immunization this fall, we keep ourselves more robust against the ongoing risk of COVID-19 during the next few months.”
Now is our chance to be like Dr. Barnes, who says “I’m getting my flu shot this week!”
It’s time for us to take advantage of the opportunity to get our flu shots on campus and, in the words of Gabe Ghanadan, “help ourselves, our loved ones, and our campus community stay safe and healthy!”