Free flu shots, COVID-19 vaccines and more offered at vaccination clinics this fall

As flu season is upon us and the COVID-19 pandemic continues, it's important to stay protected and keep others around you safe. To ensure that our campus community is staying healthy, Campus Health is hosting vaccination clinics throughout this fall semester for IU Indianapolis students, faculty and staff.

The flu vaccine clinics will be held at the following dates, times and locations.

• Sept. 9, 8 a.m.-12 p.m., Campus Center room 450
• Sept. 20, 9 a.m.-4 p.m., University Tower Ballroom
• Sept. 28, 8 a.m.-3 p.m., Campus Center room 450

Registering for an appointment in advance of these clinics is preferred, but not required. Individuals should bring their CrimsonCard with them to the vaccination clinic and should provide insurance information if applicable.

Campus Health will also hold a mass immunization clinic in coordination with the Indiana Immunization Coalition from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sept. 16 in the tent outside of the Campus Center on Vermont Street. All immunizations will be free. Students, faculty and staff can pre-register for the mass clinic by accessing the online registration form, entering the enrollment code "IN65942" and selecting "IU Indianapolis-9/16." The following vaccines will be offered at this clinic: flu, HPV, MenB, MenACWY, TdaP and COVID-19.

The Pfizer COVID-19 vaccines are available at the Coleman Hall clinic every Tuesday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. by appointment only. Anyone still in need of a COVID-19 vaccine can call the clinic at 317-274-8214 to schedule.

Getting the flu shot and the COVID-19 vaccine not only protects you, but those around you who may be immunocompromised. These two viruses are highly contagious and can be fatal.

"Right now, COVID-19 is surging again," Tara Bouton, family nurse practitioner with Campus Health, said. "It is really important that we try to protect ourselves by getting our COVID-19 vaccine and the flu vaccine. If someone were to get COVID-19 and the flu at the same time, that could be very dangerous."

If you're feeling sick or showing signs and symptoms, the best thing to do is visit Campus Health or your family doctor and stay home to rest and to avoid spreading germs.

"There are other viruses going around," Bouton said. "Common colds are coming back, and those are things we can't vaccinate against. We should try to vaccinate against what we can. It will help us all stay healthy."

Reasons to get the COVID-19 vaccine:

• It's safe. The currently FDA-authorized and WHO-recommended COVID-19 vaccines were developed using the normal scientific process for vaccine development. In addition, the CDC has collected data from more than 2 million people outside of the trials that have shown no major safety issues with the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines.
• It's effective. Research shows that all currently authorized and recommended COVID-19 vaccines are very effective at preventing COVID-19, especially severe disease.
• It's free. There is no cost for the COVID-19 vaccine no matter where you receive it. Learn more about preventing the spread of COVID-19 at covid.iu.edu.

Reasons to get the flu shot:

• The flu vaccination prevents millions of illnesses and flu-related doctor's visits.
• A flu vaccine, on average, will save a college student one full day of being sick and unable to go to class during the flu season. Since the average IU Indianapolis student pays $61 per day in tuition, a flu shot, on average, will save you $61 in lost tuition when you're too sick to go to class.
• Among adults, flu vaccination is associated with a 26 percent lower risk of ICU admission and a 31 percent lower risk of death from flu compared to those who were unvaccinated.

Reasons to get the HPV vaccination

• Almost every unvaccinated person who is sexually active will get HPV at some point in their life.
• HPV is the most common sexually transmitted infection in the U.S. and is the only cause of genital warts. The HPV vaccine prevents 90 percent of genital warts.
• The HPV vaccination is very effective at protecting against certain cancers.

Reasons to get the MenB vaccination

• The meningitis B vaccine is not required in Indiana for K-12 students, so most IU Indianapolis students have not had it.
• College students are three times more likely to be at risk for catching meningitis B.
• The meningitis B strain causes 70 percent of meningococcal meningitis in Indiana