Days are getting shorter, nights are cooler and the leaves are just starting to change. While many people enjoy the charms of Michigan’s fall season, one thing is consistently on the minds of health professionals – flu season.

At Grand Valley State University, preparations for this year’s immunization distribution are well underway as the Kirkhof College of Nursing’s (KCON) Family Health Care Center (FHC) downtown has announced the dates, times and clinics where shots will be administered.

“This is an academic nurse-managed center (under KCON) that offers a full range of primary care services, including a Travel Clinic that may be of particular interest to our study abroad students,” said Cynthia McCurren, dean of the Kirkhof College of Nursing.

The FHC is located at 72 Sheldon Blvd. SE, which makes it convenient for students who depend on the Rapid to get around.

From Tuesday through Oct. 17, shots will be available at several locations including the Pew, Allendale, Holland and Muskegon campuses. Most immunization times will be from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. some exceptions. A complete list of dates and times can be found at the FHC website, www.gvsu.edu/fhc.

“Based on our statistic from last year, we’ve ordered 1,800 doses of flu vaccine to use at all the campuses,” said Larry Boekeloo, practice manager for the GVSU FHC.

Boekeloo said last year’s flu season was significantly less dangerous compared to two years ago when there was a shortage of flu vaccine across the country. Boekeloo said the FHC ordered the same number of shots as last year despite having leftovers to be sure that the FHC would be able to meet demand.

According to the U.S. Center for Disease Control, it is typically children and the elderly who are affected most by flu but the disease spreads easily.

“People can spread influenza even before they realize they are sick, beginning one day before symptoms develop and up to five to seven days after becoming sick,” said Kristi Cook, a professor in the Kirkhof College of Nursing at GVSU.

The CDC website states that flu viruses are constantly changing. Each flu season, different flu viruses can spread, and they can affect people differently based on their body’s ability to fight infection. Even healthy children and adults can get very sick from the flu and spread it to family and friends.

Moreover, flu seasons can be inexplicably unpredictable and can become severe. Studies going back 30 years to 1976 show that seasonal flu-related deaths have ranged from about 3,000 people to 49,000 people.

“If the flu does hit hard, the need for flu vaccines dwindles, and people aren’t as aware,” Boekeloo said. “Its all very dependent on how wide spread the flu is.”

To counteract this, Boekeloo said that if flu vaccines stay in relatively high supply the FHC plans to increase advertising at the university and the surrounding community.

Shots are $25 for students and can be paid by cash or check. The shots are free for faculty, staff and retirees and their families.

“It’s much less expensive than getting the flu and being out for three or four days,” Boekeloo said. “Missing class or work can add up.”

Individuals with insurance are welcome to bring their insurance card for courtesy billing, though payment must be made at the time of service. Credit or debit cards are accepted at the GVSU FHC and the Allendale Campus Health Center only.

For students looking to study abroad, the FHC has begun work on facilitating a functioning travel clinic. Students will be able to find information on the places where they will be traveling as well as the proper immunizations according to CDC information.

For more information visit the FHC website at www.gvsu.edu/fhc. Appointments can be made by calling 616-988-8774.

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