RBHS is holding an influenza (flu) shot clinic Friday, Oct. 20 from 9 a.m.-12 p.m.. Students that have signed up with guardian permission will go to the Performing Arts Center (PAC) lobby to get vaccinated. 

RBHS nurse Danielle Lamm said getting the flu shot is a good way to mediate the risks of contracting the infection. According to the Center for Disease Control, getting the flu shot can reduce someone’s chances of contracting the flu by 40-60%. Lamm said it has been harder to get students to get the flu shot in recent years, but it still remains something all students should receive.  

“We’re big fans of vaccines,” Lamm said. “Our flu clinic numbers have been significantly lower since the [COVID-19] pandemic began, which is unfortunate because we want all our students to stay as healthy as they can, and this is a free and easy way to do so.” 

Columbia Area Career Center Health Occupations Students of America chapter President Savy Nistala said she thinks it is very important for students to be vaccinated against the flu. She said those who do not get the flu shot are putting their health in danger. 

“There are several risks when students choose not to get vaccinated, but chief among them is the risk of hospitalization,” Nistala said. “Without the immune protection afforded by a vaccine, a flu infection can lead to serious complications in an otherwise healthy individual.”

Lamm said one of the hardest parts of doing the flu shot clinic is getting students to show up. She said anyone that is signed up to get the flu shot should make sure they come to the PAC lobby on Friday.  

“[Getting students the flu shot] involves schedules, spreadsheets, rosters and emails,” Lamm said. “We try really hard to find everyone, but some always get missed because they refuse, aren’t in class or are off campus for whatever reason.”

Nistala said students should get the flu vaccine not only for their own health, but also for the health of the entire community. 

“The inherent benefit of vaccination lies in its ability to prime the immune system for the possibility of infection,” Nistala said. “When you choose to get the flu vaccine, your immune system gets an opportunity to create antibodies against the flu. […] Vaccination is also important for preventing the spread of diseases to those who are immunocompromised or cannot get vaccinated because of a weakened immune system.”

Have you gotten the flu shot this year? Let us know in the comments below.