There’s one season that gets no love from anyone: flu season. As campus braces for the impending wave of influenza, Vaden Health Center is easing anxiety by holding weekly flu immunizations through October and November for faculty, staff and students.

Enlarge
#gallery http://daily.stanford.org/image/full/8020
Maggie Skortcheva

Students, faculty and staff waited in line yesterday at Vaden for their annual flu shots. The vaccination will be offered Wednesdays throughout October and November.

The first of these sessions — held yesterday — brought a large number of patients. The line for the vaccine snaked from the upstairs clinic, through the lobby and out of the door.

Despite the wait, most in line were patient.

“They have at least two stations where they are giving injections,” said Dave Acheson, a librarian at Meyer. “They have it really well organized, so that even though the line is long, it’s moving all the time.”

“They go as fast as they can while they’re sticking you with needles,” added Hoover librarian Paul Thomas with a laugh.

There was even a little drama when a rumor surfaced that some nurses were not wearing gloves while administering the vaccine.

“None of them was wearing gloves,” said Vladimir Privalov, rubbing the band-aid on his arm. “As medical procedure, everyone is supposed to wear gloves, especially those who administer flu shots. They could contaminate the very area they are trying to disinfect.”

Privalov, who is an administrative associate in the neonatology department, said this year was the first he had experienced the problem.

“The first year I was here, everything was done properly,” he said. “The person who was giving the shots changed gloves for every patient.”

Health safety concerns were not the only complaints of those waiting in line.

Some were surprised at the difference in price of the vaccination for University employees and students. While the shot is free for faculty and staff, it costs $22 for students not enrolled in Cardinal Care and $11 for those enrolled in the insurance program.

“I feel like we pay enough for the health insurance already,” said Michael Cammarano, a doctoral student in computer science. “It would be nice if this were included.”

“I have no idea what their reasoning is,” Acheson added, “but it doesn’t seem equitable to me.”

Nonetheless, the incentive to be vaccinated was shared among all.

“It’s really important,” Acheson said. “I’ve gotten it for 11 of the past 12 years, and the one year I didn’t get a shot, I got the flu.”

“Recently I’m just trying to get the vaccination as early as I can,” Cammarano added. “It’s cheap, it’s easy and it seems like a good thing.”

Vaden Health Center will hold weekly influenza immunization clinics on Wednesday afternoons from 3 to 6 p.m. until Dec. 5, excluding Nov. 21, when campus will be largely vacated for Thanksgiving break. The vaccine will not be given to individuals with severe colds or other infections, or to those who are allergic to eggs. Pregnant women in their first trimester will require medical clearance from their obstetrician.

For more information, visit http://vaden.stanford.edu.