To insure that influenza outbreaks have the minimum effect on Fordham students, faculty and staff, the University is using Maxim Health Systems to host a flu shot clinic on its Rose Hill and Lincoln Center campuses. Vaccination is the best protection against the flu, and we urge every member of the University community in good health to get vaccinated.
Please note that this vaccination is for non-H1N1 influenza. We hope to be able to offer H1N1 vaccinations if the vaccine is approved and made available.
If you have any other questions, please don’t hesitate to contact Kathleen M. Malara, director of student health services, at (718) 817-4160; [email protected].
Students, faculty and staff from any campus are welcome at any location and date.
Tuesday, September 22, 2009 | 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
McGinley Commons, Room 236 | Rose Hill Campus
Wednesday, September 23, 2009 | 4 to 8 p.m.
McGinley Commons, Room 236 | Rose Hill Campus
Tuesday, October 6, 2009 | 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
McMahon Hall, Room 205-206 | Lincoln Center Campus
Wednesday, October 7, 2009 | 4 to 8 p.m.
McMahon Hall, Room 205-206 | Lincoln Center Campus
Cost: $30, payable in cash or check only.
Participants will be required to have proper identification and sign a consent form before receiving a flu shot.
Below are answers to frequently asked flu questions. You may also visit the Federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) website at: http://www.cdc.gov/flu.
Q: Will I get the flu from the flu shot?
A: No. The flu vaccine is created from dead or inactive viruses that are not contagious.
Q: Do I need a flu shot every year?
A: Yes. Influenza viruses continually change every year. A new vaccine is used annually to fight the most current influenza virus. In addition, the antibody a person develops from the vaccine declines over time.
Q: When should I get a flu shot?
A: Influenza usually occurs as early as October and can last as late as May, with activity peaking between late December and early March. The optimal time for flu shots is during October through November; however it is clinically beneficial to be vaccinated through December and January.
Q: Why get a flu shot?
A: Influenza usually leaves its victims unable to function for several days and is responsible for an average of 200,000 hospitalizations due to flu complications each year.* Getting an annual flu shot is your best protection.
*Center for Disease Control and Prevention, July 2005.
Q: How effective is the flu shot?
A: The flu vaccine has been determined to be effective in preventing influenza in about 70 percent to 90 percent of healthy people under the age of 65 and is your best method of protection. Among elderly persons not living in chronic-care facilities and people with long-term medical conditions, the flu shot is 30 percent to 70 percent effective in preventing hospitalization for pneumonia and influenza. Among elderly nursing home residents, the flu shot is most effective in preventing severe illness, secondary complications, and deaths related to the flu. In this population, the shot can be 50%-60% effective in preventing hospitalization or pneumonia and 80% effective in preventing death from the flu.
Q: Who should get a flu shot?
A: The CDC recommends that you receive a flu shot if you meet one or more of the following criteria:
o Anyone who wants to reduce the risk of contracting the flu
o People at high risk of having serious complications from influenza, including:
• Children aged 6 months – 18 years old
• Pregnant women
• People 50 years of age and older
• People of any age with certain chronic medical conditions
• People who live in nursing homes and other long term care facilities
• People who live with or care for those at high risk for complications from flu
Q: Can I still get the flu after I get the flu shot?
A: Yes. Like other vaccines, flu vaccine is not 100 percent effective and does not take effect until one or two weeks after it is received. During this time, you will be just as susceptible to contract the flu as individuals who have not received the vaccination. Still, the best option to prevent flu is to get a yearly flu shot.
Q: What are the side effects of getting a flu shot?
A: For most people, vaccination causes no side effects. Less than 1/3 of those who receive a flu shot will experience some soreness at the vaccination site, and only 5 to 10 percent will suffer mild side effects such as low-grade fevers and headaches. Anyone who is allergic to eggs should avoid being vaccinated, since the virus used is grown in hens’ eggs.
