Graduate Student Senate and Ohio University individuals are teaming up to encourage students to get their flu shots during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Suji Baskar, a second-year medical student at OU’s Heritage College of Osteopathic Medicine and an OU HCOM senator for GSS, is the chair of the COVID Committee. She has been working with Gillian Ice, an OU professor and special assistant to the president for public health operations, and several deans at HCOM to help get the message out.
The flu shot campaign started Oct. 16 and advertises where students can get their vaccinations and what they need in order to get them.
The flu shot is not a mandatory vaccination, Baskar said, so it can be easy to forget about it. The main objective is to remind students to get their flu shots this year, especially with COVID-19.
“It’s just an encouragement for students to go get it, to advertise where you can go get it, the things you need in order to go get it and kind of just promote an extra level of safety for the COVID pandemic,” Baskar said.
GSS has been sending emails out to graduate students with information on the importance of flu shots and where they can get them, as well as any COVID-19 concerns that have been popping up.
OU has been promoting the importance of flu shots as well.
In a university-wide email sent Oct 7., OU encouraged students to schedule an appointment to get their flu shot through OhioHealth, saying getting a flu shot this year is more important than ever.
To schedule a flu shot appointment at one of the OhioHealth Campus Care clinics, students can call 740-592-7100 and choose option six, according to the email.
The flu shot clinics offered through Campus Care are only for students and will take place in tents outside of Scott Quad, according to OU’s website.
There are clinics available Wednesday from 4:30 to 6 p.m. and Oct. 29 from 9 a.m. to noon.
“We really hope that students take advantage of a lot of the sites that are available for the flu shot because Athens’ numbers has been increasing every day,” Baskar said. “So whatever we can do to help reduce the stress of the health care system.”
While the main focus of the campaign is to encourage students living in Athens to get their flu shot, the campaign is also concerned about students living in their hometowns.
The GSS campaign encourages students to get their flu shots anywhere, whether it be from a drive-thru clinic, Kroger, CVS Pharmacy or the OhioHealth clinics. The goal is for students to get their flu shot regardless, Baskar said.
Flu shots have been around for many years, Baskar said, but this year in particular, it is especially important to get the shot because of COVID-19.
Flu and COVID-19 symptoms are very similar. If someone gets the flu, they are coughing and sneezing, the same as if someone gets COVID-19, Baskar said.
If someone gets the flu, they are spreading their flu germs whenever they cough or sneeze. They could also unknowingly spread COVID-19 at the same time, Baskar said. The flu shot helps minimize the risk of spreading both COVID-19 and the flu to people around you, Baskar said.
“I think the goal of this campaign is to help people understand that, yes, we know that the flu vaccine is not going to prevent you from getting COVID, but it’s going to help,” Baskar said. “It’s the same way … wearing a mask, washing your hands, all those things are going to give you an extra level of protection, and the flu shot is the same thing.”
