The Sonoma State University Student Health Center (SHC) is providing free vaccinations for the seasonal flu this fall. While most on campus University student resources are closed, the SHC remains open for students from not only Sonoma State but all California State University campuses. In an effort to include students from all over the state, even ones living farther away due to the impacts of COVID-19 or have moved back home, students attending any CSU campus can be seen at the SSU health center.
It is unclear if students from other CSU campuses will also receive free flu shots because it is not seen as a “basic service”. As of now, students would have to physically return to the Rohnert Park campus to receive their free vaccination. For all other basic services, the SHC has always been qualified to see students from other campuses, through CSU executive order 943, but the pandemic has formalized the referral process.
The center is operating primarily through telemedicine means and in person appointments when deemed necessary by a healthcare professional. Starting in mid to late September, the SHC will be opening a flu shot clinic. Appointments will be available online starting Oct.1.
Interim SHC Director and Family Nurse Practitioner, Tracy Eaton, urged that the most important thing students and staff could do for themselves is get vaccinated with the flu shot when it comes out. The flu shot will be free of charge to all Sonoma State students when it becomes available on campus.
“You need to get your flu shot. The biggest reason is health care resources are strained. This will minimize how many people need care this winter,” said Eaton.
Health care experts worry about an impending “twindemic” of both seasonal influenza and COVID-19. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that everyone get the flu shot in September or October, before the start of the flu season.
According to an article by the New York Times, “Can You Get a Flu Shot Now? Yes, and Doctors Say You Should,” Dr. Uchenna Ikediobi, an assistant professor of general internal medicine and infectious diseases at Yale University said, “Everyone above the age of 6 months should be getting the flu vaccine.”
The SHC is also doing limited testing for patients with COVID-19 symptoms. They are currently only using their resources to test symptomatic persons. They are classifying “symptomatic” to be two or more “unexplained” indications that someone may have contracted COVID-19. These include cough, shortness of breath, loss of taste or smell, sore throat and underlying health conditions. Easton did say that every referral for a test is done on an individual basis after talking with the patient.
Eaton said, “There are many overlapping symptoms. [Getting your flu shot] can minimize confusion.” Overlapping symptoms include fever, headache, cough, sore throat, muscle aches and fatigue. Being exposed to an influenza virus can also weaken the immune system, leaving individuals vulnerable if exposed to COVID-19.
Martin Bolz, a freshman student living in the Rohnert Park area, said they would be nervous to come to campus to get a flu shot or a COVID test. While they believe that the school would follow safety requirements, they don’t feel as confident about the actions of other people coming to campus. Bolz said, “If you look all over, there are acts of civil disobedience where people are not wearing their masks properly, so I would assume that there would always be a degree of contamination.”
Matteo Schmidt, a senior Communications major, weighed in on the possibility of getting a flu shot on campus and said, ”I honestly don’t believe this school is competent enough to do something like that.”
Elise Terry, a senior Technical Theater major, disagrees and feels that the health center would be a safe place to get a flu shot or a COVID-19 test, “I’m not much of a flu shot or COVID test aficionado, but as far as safety of places to go for those things, I think the student health center would be totally fine. I’ve gone to the student health center a couple of times and it’s always been super clean and nice,” she said.
While students have differing viewpoints about getting a flu shot specifically at the SHC, Easton still encourages everyone to get a flu shot as soon as possible wherever individuals feel comfortable, “Getting the flu shot does not give you the flu and you will have a much more mild flu if you do end up still getting it”.
The CDC is coordinating a publicity campaign from now until Oct. 31 through social media, billboards, television and radio urging people to get their flu shot as soon as possible since it takes about two weeks after vaccination for antibodies to develop in the body and provide protection against the flu.
