Fall has begun, the flu season is here and it is time to take precautions. The Student Health Services can help in the fight against the flu.

On Monday, Health Services began its annual flu shot clinic. The service provides students, faculty and staff with vaccinations for a $10 fee.

The vaccinating will continue through mid-November or until supplies last. Dr. Rebecca Wills, head physician at the center, recommends that all students be vaccinated between September and October, or at the latest, November.

"The flu season lasts for several months," Wills said. "It begins in December and continues until March."

Wills said that the flu vaccination only has to be given once. The exception would be for children and the elderly.

A child might need a booster shot. An elderly person, depending on their health, might also need a second shot.

Wills added that the side effects of the vaccination are minimal, such as a sore arm for a day.

"Unless a person has an allergic reaction, [then] there can be severe side effects," Wills said.

The scientific name for the flu is influenza, and should not be confused with the common cold. The symptoms are different and the flu should be taken more seriously, Wills said,

Common symptoms of influenza are high-temperature fevers, headaches, body aches and pains, fatigue, chest discomfort and coughing.

Wills said that the '97-'98 flu vaccine has a "combo A and B subtype."

"Every year according to epidemialogical studies, a virus strain is anticipated for that year," Wills explained. "That is how an anti-vaccine is produced."

One should not take an older version of a flu vaccine due to the difference between the influenza vaccines from previous years.

Wills says the reason the flu season can be expected every year around the same time is due to the temperature tracking of the virus. Studies have shown that the virus is mostly active in any place of the world at the same constant temperature. The flu season is predicted for the United States to last from December through March.

When the flu strikes, it can last for several weeks and the only prevention is an annual anti-flu vaccine, Wills said. Student Health Services clinics are available on a walk-in basis, or by appointment. For more information, one may call (562) 985-1638.