Campus Health Center Offers Flu Shots for NC State Community, COVID Vaccines on the Way

Fall is in the air at NC State. That means cooler weather, football season in full swing and, before long, colorful trees across campus. Unfortunately, that also means flu season is right around the corner, but Campus Health is ready to stay one step ahead of that and help students, faculty and staff avoid the flu by administering vaccines across campus. 

Starting Sept. 19, students, faculty and staff can make appointments for flu shots at the Campus Health pharmacy through the HealthyPack Portal, or by calling 919-­515-­2563. The pharmacy will offer flu shots by appointment on Mondays, Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays from 8:30-11:30 a.m. and 1:30 to 4 p.m. and Tuesdays from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. and 1:30 to 4 p.m.

Campus Health will also provide convenient weekly walk-in clinics across campus from late September through early December — a full schedule can be found on Campus Health’s website.

Tyler Pearce, NC State’s assistant director of community health and preparedness, said that NC State will be issuing its usual quadrivalent flu shots, and that, each year, the United States’ flu vaccines are retooled based on flu strains seen in other countries. 

“Vaccine-preventable diseases are just that, and the flu is one of the most common of those,” Pearce said. “Having vaccines, having that great herd immunity is a good way to stop the spread, especially in high-density living areas such as residence halls.”

Having vaccines, having that great herd immunity is a good way to stop the spread, especially in high-density living areas such as residence halls.

Over the past five seasons, flu deaths in North Carolina alone have ranged between 186 to 391, adding to the importance of communities protecting themselves via vaccination. 

The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services states that: “The first and most important step in protecting you and your family from the flu virus is to get a flu vaccine each year. Vaccination can also make illness milder for those who do get the flu, making it especially important for those at higher risk of more serious outcomes, such as people over 65 years old, children younger than 5, pregnant women and those with certain medical conditions such as asthma, diabetes, heart disease and obesity.”

Campus Health will also soon have the new COVID-19 vaccine available; the Food and Drug Administration approved the vaccine on Monday, and the Center for Disease Control recommends it for everyone aged six months and up.

Pearce said that NC State has ordered a supply, and that the health center anticipates the COVID vaccines being available within about three weeks. Those who wish to receive a vaccine should monitor the COVID-19 page of the Campus Health website for more information. Similar to the Flu, the best defense against COVID-19, severe illness, and hospitalization is staying up to date with a COVID-19 vaccine.

“We have seen similar case rises as the rest of the community, the Raleigh area and Wake County,” Pearce said. “Looking at the state’s dashboard, it seems like the state is seeing very similar rises. So we’re super excited to finally be able to get this new, updated vaccine and offer it to our population.”