Campus Health Service

December 17, 2007

Dear ASU Student(s), Faculty, and Staff:

Campus Health Service is committed to protecting you from the seasonal flu, but we need your help.  The flu season has begun early this year.  ASU’s Campus Health Service has developed a robust system to detect and treat flu cases with its rapid testing done at the Tempe & West Campus Health Centers.  Using these systems, ASU has confirmed 6 of the state’s 17 documented flu cases.  We have given out a record number of flu vaccines, but realize this is only still a small proportion of the students who are at risk.  We are asking for your help to protect yourself over this winter break and next spring by:

  1. If you have not had a flu shot, please make sure you get one while you are on break.
  2. If you cannot get one on break, we strongly encourage you to come to any of the Campus Health Service centers and get your flu shot.  We are open 10-4 all during the holiday break except Dec 24th, 25th and Jan 1st.  We still have supply left.  The sooner the better since it takes 2 weeks to build up the body’s immune system.
  3. Carry with you plenty of alcohol-based instant hand cleaner and use it frequently.  This prevents transmission of cold and flu germs from person to person.
  4. Learn the “Cough/Sneeze Salute”.  When you need to sneeze/cough, do so by coughing or sneezing into your bent elbow rather than in your hands which can transmit the flu and cold viruses.
  5. Have on hand in your office, residence hall or apartment/house plenty of over the counter cold/flu medicines.  Of course, if you have any questions please check our website www.asu.edu/health, call our pharmacy for info on medicines, or you can come to any of the Campus Health Service locations to get information/care.

We find that many faculty, students, and staff do not believe they can get the flu, are worried about getting the flu from the flu shot (which cannot happen), are scared about getting the shot, or are worried about the cost ($18 for students, $20 for faculty which will be billed to either their insurance or to their student account if not covered).

Flu is passed from one person to another by cough or droplet and has about a 30% rate of passing from one infected person to another.  On average, students/adults who get the flu shot will miss one less day of school/work than those who do not.  This means some will get no benefit for the year and some will avoid 7-10 days of illness.  You cannot get the flu from the flu shot as the flu in the flu shot is inactive components not the actual live virus.  Our nursing staff does an excellent job of giving these immunizations.

The ACIP (Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices) from the US Center for Disease Control recommends that all adults who wish to avoid flu illness get immunized.

As always, if you have questions, please feel free to check our website www.asu.edu/health or give the health center a call 480-965-3346.

 

Allan L Markus MD MS MBA FACP
Director, Campus Health Services
Arizona State University
Clinical Associate Professor of Medicine
University of Arizona College of Medicine