The clinic gave out more than 650 flu shots last year, an amount which is hoped to be exceeded this time around.

As a preventative measure for the season infamous for many people getting sick, the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee’s Norris Health Center will host their annual walk-in flu clinic various days in November.

The clinic is staffed by students and faculty of the College of Nursing, and partnered with UWM Marketing and Programming and UWM Human Resources. The clinic gave out more than 650 flu shots last year, an amount which is hoped to be exceeded this time around.

This is the second year the clinic is sponsored by UWM. Maxim Health Services, a vendor who sponsored clinics with UWM and other college campuses, canceled its contract in November 2005 due to a supply shortage.

Flu shots will be available in the Union Ballroom Tuesday, Nov. 6, 8-4pm, Wednesday, Nov. 7, 11-7pm, Thursday, Nov. 8, 8-4pm, Thursday, November 15, 3-7pm in Sandburg, and Thursday, November 30, 8 am-Noon at the UWM Fireside Lounge.

Flu shots are $10 for students with valid UWM IDs, $20 for staff and faculty members, and $25 for the rest of the community. According to the Norris Health Center Web site, students with chronic health conditions can call the Norris Health Center at 229-4716 to schedule a flu shot after Nov. 8. Cash, checks, and PantherCards are all accepted as payment.

According to Colleen Bernstein, RN, of the Norris Health Center, it is important for one to get flu shots in order to reduce its spread. The flu, which is caused by a virus, travels through the air and produces symptoms such as a sore throat, fever, muscle pains and headache, and even pneumonia, in some serious cases.

The flu can last anywhere from 10 days up to two weeks, which can prevent students from going to work and school and easily make work pile up. Since UWM student traffic is high, the flu can be spread quickly and easily. Because the shot is not a live vaccine, people do not have to worry about getting sick from it, something that should alleviate worries about coming down with flu-like symptoms.

Until someone can obtain a flu shot, frequent hand washing and covering the mouth when coughing, common protocols for staying healthy that are, sadly, still often neglected, can help curb the disease.

“It’s a good idea to get flu shots,” says Bernstein. “It’s a very cost-effective way to keep yourself healthy.”

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