University Health Services began offering free flu vaccinations Monday in hopes of decreasing the number of student illnesses this year.
According to Sarah Van Orman, director of clinical services at UHS, their goal is to vaccinate as many people as possible. Last year, a record 7,200 students were vaccinated.
Van Orman said last year's flu vaccine, however, was not a great match with the particular strains of the virus circulating among the student population.
UHS offers a different version of the vaccine each year in correlation with the specific strains of the virus.
Every year it is a little bit of a 'wait and see' to actually see how closely the vaccine matches the strains,"" Van Orman said. ""We don't know what the flu is going to be like until it actually gets here.""
Even though the vaccine involves a lot of guesswork, Van Orman said choosing to get vaccinated is always better than not getting the shot.
Lindsey Nicholson, a UW-Madison sophomore, said she is planning to get the flu shot this year after a string of illnesses caused her to fall behind in classes last year.
""I had mono in the beginning of last year and had to miss at least six consecutive days of class, including an exam ... It was pretty hard to catch up after that,"" she said.
A new FluMist nasal spray will provide students who are scared of needles with an alternative, but more expensive, option to the shot.
Costs have decreased slightly, but Van Orman said the spray is not recommended for people who are already sick or who have other medical conditions like diabetes.
According to Craig Roberts, an epidemiologist for UHS, influenza can become a serious infection, causing students to be out of class for a week to 10 days.
Van Orman noted 30 to 40 percent of students have reported a negative outcome from contracting the flu.
""It really affects students' lives, and if you're out for a week, it can affect your academic performance for the rest of the semester,"" she said.
