Campus flu shots delayed

By Lauren Goodman
Daily Forty-Niner

Tis the season for coughing, sneezing and a stuffed-up nose. This can mean a cold or worse: the influenza virus.

The Student Health Center at Cal State Long Beach usually offers flu shots at minimal cost to students, faculty and staff around October, just in time for flu season.

But not this year.

The center will not be getting the vaccine until late November or early December, according to Dr. Rebecca Wills, chief staff physician at the health center.

"Usually, shots are done in October, but according to the U.S. Center of Disease Control there is a problem with supply," Dr. Wills said. "We do not have the vaccine, but as soon as we get it we will have a campaign and make it available to students and faculty."

According to the CDC, the best time to get the flu shot is from September to mid-November, as the immune system takes about six to eight weeks to respond to vaccinations.

"The CDC recommends flu shots for high-risk people, such as people over 50, and anyone with HIV or a serious illness, like chronic heart or lung disease, kidney disease, diabetes or sickle cell anemia," Wills said.

"There have been students inquiring about the vaccine and we have been telling them to check local drug stores like Rite-Aid and Sav-On, however our pharmacists have just informed me that Sav-On has cancelled their vaccinations too," Wills said. "In that case, the alternative is public health centers or your primary doctor."

The flu is extremely contagious and is usually contracted in public places, such as school or work, according to the Mayo Clinic Health Web site.

Every year, the flu hospitalizes 100,000 people in the United States and kills 20,000, according to the CDC. The virus attacks the respiratory system and blocks airways. Symptoms include a runny nose, sneezing, a sore throat, muscle aches, headaches, extreme fatigue and fever.

Brooke Ramsey, junior fine arts major, is one of the unlucky students who contracted the virus this season.

"I stayed home one day, but I can't miss anymore classes. It's too hard to catch up," Ramsey said.

"I started getting symptoms two days ago but I thought it was allergies. I got a sore throat, a deep cough, a stuffed up nose during the night and a pounding headache," Ramsey said. "I meant to get a flu shot, and I kept thinking I had time, but I got sick."

Flu shots are also available from the Long Beach Department of Health and Human Services in various parts of the city beginning Nov. 14. These are priority shots for people over 65 or suffering from chronic illness, such as heart, lung or kidney disease. For more information one may call the Health Department at (562) 570-4000, or the campus health center at (562) 985-4771.