By Patrick Healy
There is a nasty stomach and/or respiratory bug going around right now. Getting a flu shot won’t help you to actively fight the disease — in fact, don’t get a shot until you’re feeling better — but it will prevent a similar situation a month or two from now.
The Health Center is partnering with Wegmans Pharmacy to hold a flu vaccine clinic. The remaining dates are Wednesday, Oct. 5 from 4-6 p.m. at the Koessler Athletic Center; Wednesday, Oct. 19 from 9:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m. at Science Hall Commons; and Thursday, Oct. 27 from 9:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. at Science Center Commons.
This being the Opinion section, we understand there are usually multiple considerations in every decision. This situation, though, is clearer. Getting vaccinated against the flu helps you. It helps others who might not be able to get vaccinated. And there is no economic cost to the matter. Or, rather, it has already been paid by the College — failing to use it will not save anyone money.
And that leads us to our point. Many of our readers might agree with our above points, but they might not know about the flu clinic. So, where’s the publicity? The Griffin only knew about it because we routinely check the campus calendars available on the portal. We’re a newspaper, so we try to do our part to make students aware of upcoming events, but it’s ultimately on the college to promote their own programs.
The Griffin understands there has been turnover at the Health Center, and we welcome these newest Canisians, but we must question the efficacy of the clinic if it is not being publicized. Via our recent, unwanted crash course in epidemiology, we all know the necessity of herd immunity. From a medical perspective, the more the merrier. From an economic perspective, there is nothing to be saved by rationing: the doses have already been manufactured, and the Wegmans employees are being paid no matter how many people show up.
It’s not even on the Today@Canisius emails. The Office for Student Engagement and Leadership Development offered Petey Points if students attended a talk by Kevin Hines because it promotes mental health. Well, we think physical health is just as important. Getting a flu shot isn’t the same as attending a talk, and it’s not sponsored by a club or the SELD office, but we’re just spitballing (metaphorically, of course) here. The least that could be done is a studentwide email.
Now, normally The Griffin wouldn’t advocate for even more emails, but this is actually something that rises to the level of an all-undergraduate email. Flu shots are very effective, but they take a week or two to kick in. Unlike — professors, avert your eyes — the typical paper, it’s not something we can do right before the deadline. There are three days left of clinics. Give students some notice so that we can fit a flu shot into our busy schedules. -PH