Flu Season Ahead

The Flu ends with “U”

Flu season is generally from October through May and spreads like a wildfire, especially on a college campus. Given these things, your student may want to consider getting vaccinated. HaveUHeard that UGA’s Health Center offers the flu vaccine? It is $50 for uninsured students, and typically covered by insurance or much cheaper for insured students. They also have decided to offer a mobile flu vaccine that comes to specific locations on campus on specific days during September and October so that everyone on campus has access to the flu vaccine. To get a flu vaccine, you can make an appointment online or call the Health Center to see when they are accepting walk-ins.

Another option to get a flu shot is at:

• Walgreens: This is the closest Walgreens to campus. There is no cost for the flu shot with most insurance. Appointments are not needed, but we recommend calling beforehand to find out what the wait time is. Walgreens will also give you a coupon to earn a $5 reward on your next purchase of $15 or more
• Publix Pharmacy: There are two locations that are not far from campus – Georgetown Square and Athens Pointe. Typically, students will get a $10 gift card just for getting vaccinated and vaccines are usually very cheap if they are not covered by insurance.
• Walmart Pharmacy – There are three Walmarts in Athens (Epps Village Shopping Center, East Athens Marketplace, and Neighborhood Market) that have pharmacies attached to them. There are no out of pocket expenses with most insurance plans for flu shots.

Wherever students go for a flu vaccine, they should stay about 15 minutes afterward to be sure they do not have any adverse reactions and it is sometimes smart to get someone to go with them just in case. Typically, my daughter gets the flu shot, and when she got to college that did not change. She usually chooses to do so because she is an asthmatic, and wants to do anything possible to prevent the flu because of the adverse effects it would have on her. Choosing to get the vaccine is a personal decision and one that you should discuss with your student based on their health. If they do get the flu or any other illness there are plenty of things that can be done to assure their speedy recovery and we have a very helpful blog that is all about being Sick at School.

Here are the typical symptoms students can watch for at the onset of the flu as early detection can be beneficial:

• Sudden onset of high fever
• Headache, muscle aches, and joint pain
• Dry cough
• Chills
• Sore throat
• Nasal congestion and runny nose
• Fatigue – which may last for a few weeks after the flu

If students do get the flu, they should know that they can get a doctor’s note so they don’t feel compelled to drag themselves out of bed and trudge to classes. Professors not only appreciate the heads up but are also grateful that students don’t come and share their germs. The flu is highly contagious. While some professors can be unreasonable, most will excuse you from a class that day or give you an extension on any project, test, or assignment due dates.

As parents, we can hope they never get sick, but if they do, the next best thing might be to send a care package to help them feel better. Check out our blog Care Packages for When They Get Sick here.

Wishing all our Dawgs a healthy semester.

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