The flu has hit the UA campus hard this year, and it doesn't seem to be letting up any time soon, officials say.
"We are in the middle of a flu outbreak," said Campus Health Services physician Melvyn Weinberg. "The flu has come very early this year."
Flu season usually hits the UA community in January and continues throughout February and March, Weinberg said.
This year, the flu came months ahead of schedule, he said.
Campus Health Services began seeing its first influenza cases in the last few weeks of October.
"We tend to have a later outbreak of the flu," Weinberg said. "This is the earliest I remember it hitting the UA."
While flu symptoms may vary from person to person, Weinberg said this year they are seeing a slower onset.
"The flu usually comes on all of a sudden. One minute you will have a fever and chills," he said. "The one we are seeing this year is coming on as if it were a regular cold."
Lia Ernst, a non-degree seeking graduate student, knows all to well the symptoms of the flu.
"I had the flu about two weeks ago," Ernst said. "I had to miss two days of classes."
Ernst, who did not get the flu shot, said she suffered from a high fever and days of nausea.
"Now that I have had the flu, I won't get the flu shot," she said. "But, I will be getting it next year."
Influenza is not as dangerous for young adults as it may be for children or older people, Weinberg said. However, he is still urging students to get the flu shot.
"If you haven't had it, we highly recommend it," he said. "Other than the flu shot, there is no real prevention."
In recent weeks, the immunization department has been very busy with students wanting the influenza vaccine.
"I give out flu shots every day," said Judy Stivers, immunizations nurse at Campus Health Services.
While Stivers does not have an exact figure of how many flu shots have been given out this season, she estimates the number is higher than last year.
Although there is a shortage of the influenza vaccination in health clinics in Pima County, Stivers said that Campus Health is not feeling the strain.
"We still have plenty of
vaccinations left," she said.
Type A influenza is the flu strain that is currently affecting Tucson, Weinberg said.
Amantadine is an antibiotic that can be prescribed by doctors at Campus Health Services. It may shorten the duration of the flu, Weinberg said.
"We are handing that out to a lot of patients," Weinberg said.
If a student has not yet gotten the flu shot, and is around someone who has the flu, he recommends getting a prescription for Amantadine.
It can be used as a preventative measure for the two weeks it takes for the flu shot to work up the antibodies to fight the flu, he said.
While Amantadine does not cure the flu, it will make the symptoms of the flu milder, Weinberg said.
Annie Jabuka, a communication sophomore, used a similar antibiotic called Osteltamivir or Tamiflu.
"My sister had the flu," she said. "I got the flu shot and took the prescription for about five days."
Jabuka did not get the flu.
While Pima County has shown some cases of influenza occurring in flu shot recipients, Weinberg said those cases are rare and they should not discourage anyone from getting a flu shot.
Campus Health Services will be providing the flu shot to students and UA employees for $15. For students with insurance through the UA, the cost will be $10.
Anyone interested can receive the shot anytime from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. during the week. The center opens one hour later on Wednesday.
No appointment is necessary.