“If employees don’t feel comfortable coming to campus or can’t make it on one of those days, they can still get their flu shot from their physician or at an in-network pharmacy, and it will still be covered by insurance,” Chief Total Rewards Officer Teri Suhr said.

Suhr added that all consent forms for the flu shot clinics will be done online to also limit exposure.

Importance of flu shot

Waller said influenza viruses annually cause millions of cases of flu, with thousands of hospitalizations and deaths.

“Last year was unusual because people were wearing masks and practicing physical distancing to protect themselves against COVID-19 during the winter months, leading to lower than usual numbers of influenza cases,” Waller said. “It is unlikely that this trend will continue, as COVID vaccination and ‘pandemic fatigue’ have led people to do less of these preventive measures, so we expect a more typical flu season this year.”

In addition to the flu shot, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends the following for the best prevention against the flu: cleaning shared surfaces, avoiding close contact with those who are sick, thoroughly washing hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, and avoiding touching eyes, nose and mouth with unwashed hands.

“Vaccination protects not only the individual receiving the shot, but also those in the community who are most vulnerable and may not be eligible to be vaccinated,” said Waller.

For more information about cold and flu prevention and care, visit health.colostate.edu/cold-and-flu-prevention-and-care.