Faculty, staff, students and retirees can “fall into wellness” from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday in the Martin Luther King Jr. University Union at the annual health fair and flu shot clinic hosted by the Health Education Resource Center.

Students must bring their panther cards to the University Ballroom for their free flu vaccinations provided by the Health and Counseling Services Medical Clinic.

Faculty, staff and retirees can get their vaccines in the Grand Ballroom from the Coles County Health Department and are asked by Health and Counseling Services to bring their panther cards and valid insurance or Medicare cards.

Abby Fisher, financial health coordinator at the Health Education Resource Center and graduate student studying counseling, said getting vaccinated is essential in preventing the flu and encouraged everyone to take advantage of the opportunity provided.

“Especially living in the residence halls and being in class all the time it’s really easy to get sick and get the flu,” Fisher said. “Getting the flu shot is just preventing that and helping everybody to stay healthy and sickness-free in the winter months.”

The main purpose of the health fair, Fisher said, is to inform students of all the health-related resources available to them both on and off campus.

“There’s a lot of different areas of health and there’s a lot of things available to them that they might not know about,” Fisher said.

Fisher said she planned the fair with two other graduate assistants over the course of two months and the planning process involved researching what exhibits were at the past fairs so they could include old and new organizations at this year’s fair.

She said there will be approximately 25 presenters this year.

“There’s the side of the health fair with the flu shot and everything like that but then we have all of the tables,” Fisher said. “There’s lots of different things. We have a few HERC tables that will be talking about nutrition, finances, dealing with stress and mental health.”

Fisher said being aware of mental health is important, so counseling services will provide information.

The nutrition department from the Health Education Resource Center will also be available.

The Assessment, Testing and Prescription Lab will be at the event demonstrating how the graduate students in the program perform basic tests to determine one’s health and fitness.

In addition to those exhibits, Fisher said people have the option to donate blood at the blood drive set up at the fair.

“All of these different programs, organizations and businesses are here to help you be your best self and to help you live healthy lifestyles, not just focus on one aspect of health, like getting your flu shot, but also nutrition, exercise and donating your blood in some cases,” Fisher said. “There’s a lot of things that go into being healthy and this raises awareness to all of those different aspects and gives faculty and staff the information they need.”

Hannah Shillo can be reached at 581-2812 or [email protected]