On Wednesday, Oct. 9th and Thursday, Oct 10, Health Services and the Nursing Department worked together to host the annual Flu Shot Clinic. This clinic has been around since before the current Director of Health Services Heather Dale started at Gustavus in 2008. Dale is excited to offer this clinic to students and faculty/staff.
“Flu shots (aka influenza vaccines) have long been the gold standard in preventing the spread of this common infection. Offering a Flu Shot Clinic allows a quick, convenient way for students, staff and faculty to get vaccinated annually as recommended,” Dale said.
This clinic promotes the protection of patients and the community against illness this winter. Senior Ingrid Bassinger, Nursing major, was excited for the opportunity to administer shots to patients and be a part of the clinic she has attended in previous years.
“I have gotten my flu shot through Gustavus the last four years and I am excited to be a part of it. It started to encourage Gusties and other members of our community to help protect themselves and others against the flu,” Bassinger said.
The clinic itself is an impactful event on campus. Students and employees can receive their shots at the clinic or in Health Services after the event, while supplies last.
“Each year, over five hundred students and two hundred employees receive their flu shot during our two days of the Flu Shot Clinic. An additional two hundred to three hundred people receive the vaccine in our office either before or after the Flu Shot Clinic,” Dale said.
Department Chair of Nursing Heidi Meyer commented on the importance of receiving a flu shot as a college student and/or employee working on a college campus.
“It is extremely important to offer this opportunity on a college campus because of the many shared spaces used by residential students as well as employees. These close quarters make it ideal for the flu virus to circulate rapidly and the more students and staff are protected, the better outcomes for us as a community as a whole…The clinic also demonstrates the commitment the College has toward maintaining health and wellness of all its members,” Meyer said.
Meyer was instrumental in communicating with other departments and ensuring that the students were comfortable with administering the shot.
“My role as the Department Chair of the Nursing Program is to collaborate with the Public Health course faculty and/or clinical faculty to make sure our students are able to participate with implementing the flu shot clinic. The flu shot clinic allows our nursing students to have the opportunity to implement primary prevention measures and health education to members of the Gustavus community. I would also say my role is to promote the clinic to all members of the Gustavus community, not only as an educator, but a contributing member of the community as well,” Meyer said.
Being the director of the office that helps to put on the clinic, Dale had the main role of ensuring the clinic ran smoothly.
“I’m the Director of the Health Service, so ultimately it is my responsibility to make sure the clinic goes well each year, but I work with amazing colleagues and we have a great partnership with the Nursing department. It is through the hard work and dedication of the Health Service staff and the student nurses that we are able to vaccinate [about] seven hundred people in two days. It takes a lot of planning and coordination, and I cannot take credit for any of that,” Dale said.
Bassinger and her fellow nursing majors had been preparing for this clinic and were excited to actually get hands on experience of what they have been learning in the classroom.
“My classmates and I are hoping for a great turn out. We gave each other our flu shots last week and have been doing various immunization clinics around St. Peter, so now we are ready for our fellow Gusties to get vaccinated,” Bassinger said prior to the event.
One myth that Dale invalidated was the idea that the flu shot can make patients sick, at least not the type that Gustavus is offering.
“This is simply not true. The vaccine we administer is inactivated. It is not a live vaccine. It can not make you sick. We administer a vaccine that protects against four viral subtypes. Some places still offer a vaccine that only protects against three subtypes,” Dale said.
“While we think we might be invincible or able to handle the flu, we are not aware of all our peers and colleagues health issues. Let’s help protect ourselves and our community,” Meyer said.
The Flu Shot Clinic may be over, but students and employees who were unable to make it to a session are able to receive a flu shot in Health Services while supplies last.