The leaves are turning colors, the sun is setting earlier and that means flu season is creeping ever closer. As students, laden with stress and abhorrent eating habits, you are especially susceptible to falling ill.

Fear not, from Oct. 11-25 Madison College has your back with flu shots for students at no cost spanning all campuses.

Influenza, or flu, is an upper respiratory infection spread through droplets made when people talk, sneeze or cough. Highly contagious, flu can be passed person to person before anyone even feels any of the symptoms. According to the CDC, symptoms like, fever, chills, cough, body aches among others, start appearing anywhere from one to four days after a person has been infected.
Getting the flu shot is important for students wanting to stay on track with their studies.

“On average, some students miss 5-7 days of school, making it very hard to catch up and recover academically,” said Anna Marie Hoffmann, Health Educator at Madison College.
But it’s not just about missing class, or falling behind in work. Flu can be very serious.

“Each year, thousands of people are hospitalized with complications from influenza and even death can result in very sick individuals,” said Hoffman. “Prevention is key to protecting yourself, along with good hand-washing, getting your annual vaccine is your best chance in protecting yourself.”

With the high stress levels students are under each and every semester, getting the flu shot isn’t the only thing you can, or should do for prevention.

“Also, get 8 hours of sleep each night, our immune systems depend on this,” she says. “Drink healthy fluids such as water or hot tea.  Eat nutritiously – think of your food as nature’s own ‘farmacy’ and know that many food help our bodies ward off illness.”

Hoffman furthers her prevention by stressing cleanliness.

“Clean areas that are commonly used – your cell phone, keyboards, door knobs, etc. with a disinfectant.  Do this on a regular basis.”

As for students who are afraid of getting the shot, you are not alone.

“We have strategies to help people with needle fears,” Hoffman explains, “some people do better seeing the needle, holding the syringe, and I’ve even had some people whom I had give a pretend shot to an orange so they can see the entire process and feel more in control – this helps for those who fear the worst.  And yet some don’t want to know anything and look the other direction.”

“There is no right or wrong way,” she stresses. “the important thing it to meet every individual where they are at and help them with their fear.”

Schedule for free flu shots 2016

Truax Main Building,
Redsten Gym
Tuesday, Oct. 11, 10 a.m. – 2 p.m.
Administered by GHC and Madison College Nursing Students/Faculty

Truax Health Education Building
Wednesday, Oct. 12, 10 a.m. – 2 p.m.
Administered by GHC and Madison College Nursing Students/Faculty

South Campus, Room SM120
Tuesday, Oct. 18, 9 – 10 a.m.
Administered by GHC

Downtown Campus, Room 245
Tuesday, Oct. 18, 11 a.m. – 1 p.m.
Administered by GHC

Commercial Avenue Campus
Tuesday, Oct. 18, 2 – 3 p.m.
Administered by GHC

Watertown Campus
Monday, Oct. 24, 11 a.m. – 1 p.m.
Administered by VaxPro

Fort Atkinson Campus
Tuesday, Oct. 25, 11 a.m. – 1 p.m.
Administered by VaxPro

Reedsburg Campus
Tuesday, Oct. 25, 10 a.m. – 12 p.m.
Administered by VaxPro