As flu season approaches, employees at Health Services are educating students on the importance of getting a flu shot and administering shots, as well.

Sheila Baker, the medical director at Health Services, said Eastern has been relatively consistent over the years with administering about 1,000 flu shots per year to students.

Baker said Eastern is a surveillance site for the state of Illinois.

“There are doctor’s offices and clinics throughout the state of Illinois that do testing that goes to the state to evaluate if the cases we believe are flu are actually the flu,” she said. “That’s how the information that goes to the Center for Disease Control every week is monitored and calculated.”

Baker said the cases that Eastern sends to the CDC help determine flu rates across the state and region.

One of the big myths surrounding the flu shot is that the shot can make a student sick.

“You cannot get the flu from the flu shot,” Baker said. “You’re not getting a virus injected into your body.”

Many students may report having the flu, but when the situation is assessed, the case turns out to be strep throat or mononucleosis instead, Baker said.

“We monitor that very closely,” she said. “I would say we just have a couple people a year that might truly be a strain of flu that is not covered by the flu vaccine that is out, but we watch it very closely and there’s not much correlation.”

Baker said many people experience soreness from the shot and feel achy, but the flu cannot be transmitted through the shot itself.

“A lot of students give us the excuse ‘I don’t get sick,’” she said. “However, the CDC has been very strong in its recommendations that all Americans who are eligible to receive the vaccine should.”

Baker said one of the main reasons students and faculty should get the shot is not only to keep themselves healthy, but to keep people around them safe as well.

The flu is a contagious disease and can spread even if the virus’ host does not have severe symptoms. She said close to 36,000 people die per year from the flu.

“It’s everyone’s responsibility to keep flu numbers down,” Baker said.

The flu usually peaks at Eastern in November, December and January, but it can vary nationwide Baker said.

“Right now, the flu is really sporadic across the country, but Illinois isn’t really reporting any activity to date,” she said.

Flu shots are available to Eastern students for free and are funded through student fees.

“It’s part of our budget,” Baker said. “It’s preventable so we’re committed to the mission of the university, part of which is to keep students as healthy as we can.”

Jamie Easton, a registered nurse at Health Services, said they recently counted how many flu shots they had administered so far this year, and about 500 have been given to students so far.

“A lot of students come back and get them every year, but we’ve had a lot of new students too that have had their parents tell them to come get a shot,” Easton said. “Students are concerned and don’t want to get sick.”

Easton said the process only takes a few minutes if students are registered at Health Services.

Health Services will offer a clinic where students can come get free flu shots in Greek Court Wednesday from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. in the NPHC Building at 1050 Greek Court.

Robyn Dexter can be reached at 581-2812 or [email protected].