Free flu vaccines will be available at a series of clinics hosted by MU Health Care in the next two months for MU students, staff and others enrolled in the UMSystem medical plan. 

The first vaccine clinic for students is October 3 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the School of Nursing in the Clinical Skills Lab. The next staff vaccine clinic will be September 26 in Jesse Hall from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.

Clinics will administer vaccines to students on a first come, first served basis, but appointments are also available. Students can schedule an appointment by calling the Student Health Center. Vaccine clinics for Mizzou employees, retirees and their family members are available by appointment only. These appointments can be scheduled through Mizzou Pharmacy’s flu vaccine scheduling portal.

As per MU Health Care’s guidelines, students must present their Mizzou Student ID and staff and their families must present their insurance card in order to get vaccinated. MU Health Care recommends wearing loose-fitting clothing or short sleeves so the patient’s arms are easily accessible.

Laura Morris, MU Health Care’s vaccine committee co-chair, recommends that everyone aged six months and older get vaccinated in September or October, though vaccines will continue to be available throughout the flu season. 

The CDC recommends that everyone six months of age and older receive a flu vaccine every year. Mizzou Pharmacy will not administer the flu vaccine to children aged six or younger because they typically require two doses for the vaccine to be effective, according to the CDC Children under seven can obtain their vaccine from their health care provider, health department or community clinic instead. Anyone six months or older can also receive their vaccine at a normal wellness check at many of the MU Health Care clinics. 

During seasons when flu vaccine viruses are similar to circulating flu viruses, the flu vaccine has been shown to reduce the risk of serious infection by 40% to 60%, according to the CDC. 

The updated COVID-19 vaccine will also be available in the coming months, and can be administered at the same time as the flu vaccine.

MU Health Care recommends that students monitor for flu symptoms, which include a fever over 101 degrees or one that remains over 100 degrees for two days, a productive or wet cough, breathing difficulty or chest pain.The Student Health Center encourages students who observe any of these symptoms to call 573-882-7481 to schedule an appointment. 

Additional flu vaccine clinics and clinics open to the broader Columbia community can be found on the MU Health website.

Edited by Sophia Anderson | sanderson@themaneater.com

Copy edited by Audrey Dae Bush