As students across campus were moving into dorms for the new academic school year, Eastern Michigan University’s Health Services were making back-to-school preparations of their own.
The student health center has made vaccines available for influenza and pertussis (whooping cough) for EMU staff and students.
“I recommend that everyone who shares air space with another individual get the [flu] shot,” Carol Smith, a registered nurse at the student health center, said. “I don’t recommend they do anything else unless they have an egg allergy.”
The influenza vaccine is grown in chicken eggs, so people who have an egg allergy are advised not to receive the flu shot.
The flu vaccine comes in two forms. The live vaccine is a nasal spray and is administered to individuals who are under the age of 50 and healthy. The shot is not a live vaccine and is available for individuals over the age of six months.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, pertussis can cause a serious illness in infants, children and adults. The disease usually starts with cold-like symptoms and maybe a mild cough or fever. After one to two weeks, severe coughing can begin. Unlike the common cold, pertussis can become a series of coughing fits that continues for weeks. Some people have been known to experience the whooping cough for 10 weeks, or as long as 100 days.
“The whooping cough is here all the time; it’s not just in winter,” Smith said. “But the most important thing to remember is that there is a shot to prevent it.”
For students who are interested in receiving vaccines from the student health center but are lacking medical coverage, sometimes Washtenaw County will offer discounted or free vaccines for a limited group of individuals. Health insurance is also available through the university.
“They [community resources] are very selective in who they allow, or have certain criteria that has to be met in order for you to qualify for your discounted vaccines,” Amanda Lefeld, director of business operations at EMU’s Snow Health Center, said.
To qualify for university health insurance, undergraduate students have to be enrolled at least part-time (six credit hours) and graduate students need to be degree-seeking or taking at least one credit hour to qualify.
The insurance covers general physical exams, sickness and injury, allergy shots, annual preventive visits, immunizations and birth control. It doesn’t cover eye or dental unless it is an injury or illness.
“Another good thing is we try to be flexible with students and their ability to enroll,” Lefeld said. “If they purchase the policy in their first week or so of class we allow them to put it on their student account. So if they are getting financial aid or what have you, they can use their refund to help cover for it.”
According to the University Health Services website, the UnitedHealthcare policy can be purchased for an entire academic year for $1,395 or $465 per semester.
The student health center also offers a travel clinic for students planning on travelling overseas.
“I don’t think students are aware of everything we offer,” Lefeld said. “We have a travel clinic for those who are travelling abroad. The nurse spends an hour with you explaining what vaccines you need and it is location specific.”
The cost for the flu vaccine is $30 and $60 for pertussis. The cost is free for students with UnitedHealthcare insurance and EMU employees who have Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan health insurance.
Students also have the choice of charging the service to their student tuition bill.
The Snow Health Center flu vaccine clinic hours are from 9 – 11 a.m. in room 103.
The flu vaccine will be administered on Oct. 8 and 17 and Nov. 12 and 21.
The student health clinic is open from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. and they can be reached at 734-487-1122.
