Mason helping to promote 'Community Immunity,' campaign urging students to receive flu vaccine

Fairfax County's "Community Immunity" campaign video, used with permission and viewable on the Fairfax County YouTube channel. 

George Mason University’s College of Health and Human Services (CHHS) is assisting the Fairfax County Health Department in promoting “Community Immunity,” a flu vaccination campaign, urging students to receive the flu vaccine. To promote the initiative, the School of Nursing and the Student Health Center are helping to run vaccination clinics on campus this fall.

The first clinic was held last Thursday, Oct. 6, in SUB I, Room 2013.

According to Dr. Wagida A. Abdalla, Director of Student Health Services, over 140 people, including students, faculty and staff received the vaccine at the Thursday clinic.

Two more clinics will be held on the Fairfax campus this fall, on Wednesday, Oct. 12, from 10 a.m. until 1 p.m. (SUB I, room 2013) and Tuesday, Nov 1, from 11 a.m. until 2 p.m. (JC, room 116).  

The vaccine costs $15 dollars for students and $20 for staff.

Vaccination clinics have also been scheduled on the Arlington and Prince William campuses. Times and locations of scheduled flu shot clinics are listed on the Student Health Services website.

Associate Dean of the School of Nursing Robin Remsburg said there is a special concern for the flu to spread on college campuses since college-aged adults are statistically the least immunized group.

“There’s concern, especially after the H1N1 strand greatly affected young people,” Remsburg said.

Remsburg said she thinks college students have a tendency to think if they are in good health, eat right and get enough sleep they won’t catch the flu.

“They [college students] feel they are not vulnerable,” said Remsburg.

According to Remsburg, an individual’s chances of contracting the flu have less to do with their health than with their exposure to the flu virus.

Remsburg said the interest is in increasing immunization rates on campus and urges every student to consider getting the vaccine, not just for themselves, but for the whole community.

The Fairfax County Health Department is working throughout the county to spread the word about the importance of receiving the flu vaccine and sought the help of CHHS to “bring the campaign to students.”

For their part, Remsburg said CHHS has helped to promote the campaign with fliers and posters being distributed around campus and in student residence halls and messages displayed on the closed-circuit campus TV’s.

Student Health Services staff and students from the School of Nursing is also assisting with running the flu clinics on campus.

“Anytime between September and March the flu typically spreads,” said Remsburg. “It’s never too late to get the vaccine.”

Remsburg said students don’t need to attend a scheduled flu shot clinic in order receive the vaccine. Students, faculty and staff can get the flu shot anytime by appointment with Student Health Services.

In addition to getting the flu shot, Remsburg highlighted some precautions students can take to avoid illness this fall.

Washing your hands, staying in your room when you have flu like symptoms, good hygiene, and using the waterless hand sanitizer in buildings around campus were all mentioned as good preventative techniques.

For more information about “Community Immunity” visit http://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/hd/flu/