Student Health Services reports 11 flu cases since winter break

By Rishab Ramapriyan     1/15/19 11:05pm

A total of 11 flu cases have been reported this semester to Rice University Student Health Services as of Tuesday afternoon according to  Dr. Jessica McKelvey, director of Student Health Services. 

McKelvey said that out of the 11 cases thus far, nine patients had not received flu shots. The two other patients, who had been vaccinated, showed milder symptoms, according to McKelvey. 

Last year, 40 cases of influenza had had been reported in total in Jan. 2018, and 30 of those patients had not gotten vaccinated, according to McKelvey.

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Student Health Services sent a university-wide email last week stating that students are reporting to Health Services with cases of the flu.

Students can obtain flu shots, specifically the quadrivalent vaccine, which protects against four different influenza virus strains, at Student Health Services for $17. McKelvey said that Student Health Services received a new shipment of flu vaccines Tuesday morning. Students on the Aetna Student Health Plan will be reimbursed, and many other insurance policies will also reimburse the cost of the vaccine, according to the email. 

“Don’t postpone getting your flu shot,” McKelvey said. “It takes two weeks for the vaccine to become effective, so it’s important for students to be vaccinated promptly.”

In Feb. 2018, the Student Association passed a resolution on vaccine accessibility that advocated for free year-round flu vaccinations at the health center and flu vaccinations at residential colleges, but neither of those measures have been instituted, according to Student Health Services. 

The school-wide email also listed the proper protocol for washing hands and stressed that sick students should not go to class or dining areas. 

“Contact the senior operations manager for your servery to make arrangements for your meals to be delivered so you don’t spread germs in public dining areas,” McKelvey wrote in the email. “Influenza viruses are often spread when an infected person coughs or sneezes near a susceptible person.”

Sick students are encouraged to schedule a clinic appointment with Student Health Services. In the case of an emergency, students should call Rice EMS at 713-348-6000.

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