The Student Health Care Center gave out its last 800 free flu shots to students, faculty and staff Wednesday.
SHCC Marketing Coordinator Catherine Seemann said the center doesn’t have any more vaccines, and she doesn’t know when more will be available.
“We will be putting information out as soon as we know something,” she said.
The event started at 8 a.m., and it was supposed to last until 2 p.m., but the center ran out of shots by 1 p.m., Seemann said.
Since September, the SHCC has given about 9,000 shots, which is about twice as much as last year.
Theodore Weppelmann usually doesn’t get flu shots, but he decided to get one this year.
“I heard that the flu was gonna be bigger this year than most years,” the 26-year-old landscape architecture graduate student said. “So, I decided to be better safe than sorry.”
Shots for students are normally free. Wednesday, faculty and staff also received free shots, paid by UF’s Office of Human Resource Services, Seemann said.
Although the SHCC is out of shots, Seemann said there are still some available in the community.
She said students who are interested should check local pharmacies or community providers.
If someone didn’t get a flu shot and can’t locate one, Seemann said, good hygiene, plenty of fluids, enough sleep and exercise will help the immune system fight the illness.
Colleen Wright contributed to this report. Contact Samantha Shavell at sshavell@alligator.org.
