The free Student Flu Clinic has opened at Madison College. The first clinic opened at Truax health building on Sept. 29, and to this date there have been four total opportunities for students to get a flu shot at Truax, Portage, Reedsburg, and Fort Atkinson campuses. There will still be four more opportunities for students to get their free flu shot, so those who are interested should plan ahead and be sure to take a good look at the schedule to find times and locations that work best for them. 

If one plans to visit the Truax clinic, located in the GHC clinic within the Health Education and Information Technology Building, you must sign up for an appointment beforehand. 

“This year we really knew that we have to be very safe, and one of the requirements would be to schedule an appointment… We didn’t want students walking in without a scheduled appointment and doing the Covid screening,” said Denise Holin, Student Health Educator and an organizer of these flu clinics. 

In an effort to keep students and workers as safe as possible, students will only be allowed to enter through designated points after completing a COVID-19 screening survey, along with a signed immunization consent form. Signs will be posted as guides and people will be kept six feet apart from each other while moving through the clinic. If anyone has COVID-19 symptoms or have recently tested positive, they are advised not to come to campus. 

“For the protection of those receiving a vaccination, as well as the safety of those working in the clinic, any one who will be giving the flu shot will be wearing full PPE, including a face mask and face shield,” said Holin. The whole space used to administer the vaccination will be disinfected after each patient, and there will be separated entrances and exits to maintain social distance throughout the process. 

The clinics serve a dual purpose by helping protect Madison College students and by providing experience and training to students involved in EMS, EMT, and Nursing programs. 

“EMS, EMT, and Nursing students are helping to facilitate as part of their educational training opportunity and curriculum development at the school. That’s one of the cornerstones of why we offer the flu clinic, is for real world experience and real-world training for our students.” 

The CDC recommends that everyone over the age of six months get a flu vaccination every year, barring any allergy issues with the vaccine’s components or outstanding medical issues that can be found on the CDC’s flu vaccination page. 

“The biggest challenge this year is really to educate our students that they really need to get the flu shot … its really not only for them, its for the others around them,” said Holin. 

If students can help reduce flu cases, they will stay in better health and ideally the result will be less flu cases that will need to be treated by our country’s healthcare system, leaving more space and resources available to fight COVID and care for others in need. 

Schedule:

Wednesday, Oct. 14, 10:30 a.m.-2:00 p.m., Truax Health Building (Appointment Required) Sign up for your appointment.

Thursday, Oct. 15, 10:30 a.m.-2 p.m., Truax Health Building (Appointment Required) Sign up for your appointment.

Monday, Oct. 19, 9 a.m.-noon, Goodman South Campus (Walk-In)

Monday, Oct. 19, 2 p.m.-3 p.m., Commercial Avenue Campus (Walk-In)