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THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 23, 2014
PAGE 3
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Watkins now offering flu vaccinations
ALLISON CRIST
@AllisonCristUDK
To counter the potential spread of the flu among students this fall, Watkins Health Center has begun administering an influenza immunization.
"We are launching flu shots for students, faculty and staff this month," said Douglas Dechaire, director and chief of staff at Watkins.
To encourage convenient
vaccinations, Watkins will not only be accepting appointments and walk-ins, but also setting up clinics around campus.
The shot costs $30 while the nasal flu mist costs $40. These are both payable by check, cash or credit card. Students also have the option to have their insurance billed, or be billed by Watkins.
Associate Director of Student Health Services Diana Malott believes the immunizations
"Seasonal flu is one of the biggest reasons students have to miss class," Malott said. "Getting vaccinated helps protect students from infection and keeps them in class."
are especially important for students.
Last year, there were a multitude of flu cases as a result of not getting the immunization, none of those belonging to the 1,754 who chose to be vaccinated.
"We treated 20 documented
FALL 2014 FLU VACCINATION CLINICS
Wednesday, October 8
11 a.m. - 3 p.m.
Burge Union
Tuesday, October 7
10 a.m. - 2 p.m.
Strong High
Kansas Union - State Employee Health Plan Members
Thursday, October 16
10 a.m. - 2 p.m.
Anschutz Library
Thursday, October 9
10 — 11 a.m.
2:30 — 3:00 p.m.
Wednesday, October 22
11 a.m. - 3 p.m.
Strong Hall
Tuesday, September 23
5 - 7:30 p.m.
Edwards Campus
cases of influenza, but evaluated 258 with 'influenza-like illness," said Julie Faust, marketing coordinator for Student Health Services.
Thursday, October 23
10 a.m. - 2 p.m.
Kansas Union
Tuesday, October 28
11 a.m. — 1 p.m.
Nichols Hall
This year's strand of immunizations will be exactly the same as they have been in the past, allowing people to choose between the regular seasonal flu shot and a nasal flu mist, Faust said.
Wednesday, October 29
11 a.m. - 3 p.m.
Underground
Thursday, October 30
1 - 5 p.m.
Watkins Health Center
While preference or cost may be reasons to choose one over the other, there are important differences between the two types of vaccinations.
According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, a person should get the flu shot rather than the nasal spray if they are pregnant, have a weakened immune system, are allergic to eggs, will provide care for or visit someone within the next seven days who needs special care for an extremely weakened immune system, or if they have taken influenza antiviral medications in the past 48 hours.
gies should not be vaccinated at all unless given approval by their doctor.
via http://studenthealth.ku.edu/
flu-shot-clinics
Furthermore, anyone who has ever had the rare disorder Guillain-Barré Syndrome, severe or life-threatening aller-
Aside from these exceptions, anyone is able to get vaccinated, and are encouraged to do so by Watkins.
Although people who get the vaccination are not likely to get the flu, they are still slightly susceptible.
"The vaccine is 90-95 percent effective to either prevent the illness altogether or minimize the symptoms and duration of the illness," Faust said.
Despite the heightened risk of acquiring the flu if not vaccinated, there is still an alternative treatment.
"If the patient is seen early enough in the course of the illness, Tamiflu, an antiviral medication, can be prescribed," Faust said.
However, students not willing to take that risk will receive plenty of opportunities to get the flu vaccine before it's too late.
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For more information, visit http://studenthealth.ku.edu/ flu-shot-clinics.
Edited by Ben Carroll
It was just two years ago that we celebrated our 100th homecoming, the 100th birthday of the Jayhawk and the 100th anniversary of the KU Fight Song!
Social justice minor proposed by Student Senate
@MirandaDavisUDK
MIRANDA DAVIS
Students looking to learn more about social equity and diversity will potentially have a new minor to choose from as soon as next fall.
Student Senate Chief of Staff Mitchell Cota and Jennifer Hamer, chair of the American Studies department, have written a proposal for a social justice minor. The minor has yet to be approved by the College of Liberal Arts or Sciences or
the Kansas Board of Regents, but if it is,it will be available for students to declare as early as fall 2015.
The minor started as a Senate initiative during election season last spring. Students who declare the minor would take six base hours of credit within American Studies and would focus on examining social problems and social equity based on class, gender, race and sexual orientation.
"It shows that yes, you're learning this in an academic
neid, but it is something that is applicable to various perspectives and different facets of life," Cota said.
JENNIFER HAMER chair of the American Studies department
"The social justice minor is really coming from the students."
they were concerned with issues of equity and fairness and they felt that the student body needed to have an opportunity to learn about fairness and equity," Hamer said.
Hamer said Cota approached her about the minor. He reached out to several different departments, and Hammer thought the minor would fit well within American Studies.
Hamer also said the new minor would be built mostly out of pre-existing courses within the department.
"This is what American Studies does. This is what we emphasize," Hamer said.
Cota, who ran with the Jayhawkers during election season and was later hired as chief of staff once Grow KU won office, made this one of his priorities once in office.
"It was a very pleasant surprise... to hear that students on the campus were interested in a social justice minor, and
The proposal will go to the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences and then through
several other administrative checkpoints and committees, including the vice provost of undergraduate studies, and if approved, it will go to the Kansas Board of Regents during its December meeting.
"The social justice minor is really coming from the students," Hamer said. "And the students should be applauded for that."
Edited by Lyndsey Havens
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