Flu season is here. Students are encouraged to act fast and get their flu shot as soon as possible, preferably before the end of the quarter.

“The whole purpose of the flu shot is to keep you out of the hospital. Flu is all upper respiratory… cough, fever, chills. It’s all in the lungs and upper airways,” said Marnie Smith, a registered nurse at the Rockwood Clinic in Cheney.

The flu vaccination has already been paid for by EWU students as part of tuition.

“You pay for them in your tuition. You technically pay for them, so please come get your flu shot! It’s going to be in Tawanka from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Nov. 8,” said Smith. “You come in [and] you fill out some..simple paperwork [for] your patient chart. It takes maybe five minutes. We give you the main injection, and you go on your merry way.”

One shot in the arm will help protect students this flu season. Thousands of people in the United States die from the flu and other related viruses every year.

“[The shot] safeguards you, because if you end up with the flu, you are always [at] risk of ending up in the hospital. You can end up extremely ill. You can end up in respiratory distress. And considering most of the students live in a community in very close quarters, viruses are shared like crazy,” said Smith. Flu season starts [at] the beginning of October and goes through the end of March. [Students] can always call the clinic and ask to get put on the shot schedule…as long as we still have them. Thursdays are our shot schedule day.”

The flu vaccination for EWU students will be in the lobby of Tawanka for the last convenient opportunity on campus this quarter. The flu shot helps prevents the flu and hospitalization from related viruses. The Rockwood Clinic has made it easy to get the shot, and will be on campus next Wednesday, Nov. 8.