Health experts urge students to stay vaccinated as flu season nears

Image courtesy of Illinois State University

NORMAL, Ill. – As flu season nears, health experts are urging students to stay up to date on vaccines amid new CDC guidelines.

Illinois State University’s Associate Director of Student Health Services, Bobbie Stevens, and Director of Clinical Operations, Dr. Jill Wirth-Rissman, shared insight into state-mandated vaccine policies, student flu shot rates and the efforts to inform students about vaccination opportunities.

“If we look back 365 days from today, about 10% of our population (student body) got flu shots at health services.”

Although 10% of students receive their flu shots through ISU, the total number is higher, as many students receive vaccinations from outside providers.

Based on Illinois State Law and University Policy, all students taking coursework and coded as “on-campus” by the academic department are required to provide proof of immunity for certain vaccines.

Student Health Services manages, oversees and reviews these regularly for compliance.

Dr. Stevens says Student Health Services uses several strategies to inform students about flu shot opportunities at ISU, including offering vaccinations at all appointments for those who haven’t received one and hosting outreach clinics across campus.

“Every time they come in here for an appointment, they’re being offered that,” said Dr. Stevens. “During the flu season, we send mass emails out to the students, letting them know that we have the flu shot. It’s free to all students, and we run flu outreach clinics.”

When larger clinics are held, Student Health Services can administer hundreds of flu shots in a single day.

“We can give 200 to 300 shots a day. But we also offer, even when the flu outreach clinics are done, the big clinics. There’s a variety of appointments available throughout the week at Health Services, all throughout the flu season. January, February… until flu season’s over or until we run out of the flu vaccine.”

As flu season approaches and the CDC updates vaccine guidelines, Dr. Brian Curtis of OSF Medical Group discussed new recommendations for COVID-19 and Hepatitis B vaccines and what they mean for the future of healthcare.

Dr. Curtis explained that the Illinois Department of Public Health provides recommendations for when to receive the COVID-19 and Hepatitis B vaccines, which are followed by many institutions.

“Right now, we are following the IDPH recommendations for both the COVID-19 vaccine, the Hepatitis B vaccine and the adopted schedules,” said Dr. Curtis. “The Hepatitis B vaccine adopted schedule was through the American Academy of Pediatrics, and the COVID-19 vaccine schedule is in line with the American Academy of Pediatrics. There’s also adult recommendations too.”

Dr. Curtis explained the importance of the vaccines for both populations of children and adults, especially if their immune system is compromised through various circumstances.

“Children over the age of two with a risk factor also have a higher risk of admission to the hospital,” said Dr. Curtis. “If we can prevent or lessen infection rate in that population, you can decrease the burden of COVID-19 on the population as a whole. That’s the thought behind those recommendations.”

As flu season approaches and vaccine uncertainty grows, Dr. Curtis discussed how the influenza vaccine has reduced hospital cases and helped prevent other diseases.

“I think of Haemophilus influenzae, which used to cause very severe meningitis,” said Dr. Curtis. “We rarely see it now because we immunize against it. Polio is another great example, we rarely see polio and we rarely see measles. These are a lot of diseases that have severe outcomes for a lot of kids, and an immunization strategy is good for public health.”

Dr. Curtis said he encourages patients to talk with their health care provider when they have questions or concerns about vaccines.

“If you’re a parent, or an individual, and have a concern, the best expert to talk to is your doctor,” said Dr. Curtis. 

As health experts continue to stress the importance of vaccination, students are encouraged to take advantage of on and off campus resources to stay protected this flu season.