The peak of flu season is quickly approaching, and UNC Campus Health Services is trying to provide students with easily available resources to prevent the spread of the virus.
State health officials released a report last week attributing 21 deaths in North Carolina to the flu since October, and said they are concerned numbers will increase as flu season continues.
While 21 deaths may be a large number of deaths from the flu this early in the season, of particular concern to doctors is the fact that the most affected population is the group of people between 25 and 49 years old — a worrisome statistic for a college campus.
In an attempt to give students the opportunity to conveniently get these vaccinations, Campus Health Services has partnered with the Department of Environment Health, and Safety and UNC’s housing department to provide three new clinics for the next two weeks for students to get their flu shots.
These walk-in clinics are intended to encourage students to protect themselves and the community by lowering their risk of contracting the virus.
Executive Director of Campus Health Services Dr. Mary Covington said she encourages students to get the vaccine and that it is not too late as the peak of flu season has yet to come.
“Every year people get sick and die but are usually very young or old,” Covington said.
She said getting the flu shot is not only important for one’s own health but also for the health of UNC’s campus as a whole.
“Most people think the flu isn’t dangerous, but you can get very sick very quickly even if you are usually healthy,” Covington said. “It is easy to spread this kind of sickness within as close a community as a college campus.”
