Students debate need to get flu vaccinations
Lauren Smith
It’s the season for getting sick, and it brings more than just allergy sniffles and colds.
Mesa Community College students have seen the warning posters, and the antibacterial soap dispensers placed around campus in preparation of the flu.
This year, not only will students have to worry about the regular flu, they will also have to worry about the H1N1 flu or otherwise known as the Swine flu.
For students, places such as CVS and Walgreens, along with Safeway’s and Fry’s offer vaccinations for the flu.
Ryan Gerth, a pharmacist at the Walgeens located on Alma School and Guadalupe, recommends getting the flu shot.
“This year the flu seems to be hitting early and is more severe, so I deffinitely encourage people to get flu shots,” Gerth said.
“The shot fights three most popular strands of viruses for the flu, however, there are many viruses to fight against, so there is still a chance of getting sick after someone gets a shot,” Gerth said.
Not many people know that flu shots and H1N1 shots take up to two weeks to activate. Someone can still get sick in that time period.
Cornelius Tanyi, a pharmacist at Safeway on Alma School and Guadalupe, where they offer the flu shot for $28 without insurance, is also preparing for H1N1 shots.
“The H1N1 shot is important, like the flu shot, it can make a person’s system immune to the strand of the virus,” Tanyi said.
MCC student Becca Cates, 35, has only gotten the flu shot once and hasn’t since.
“I got sick after I got the shot, and then they usually won’t give it to you if you have had the symptoms of getting the flu, and I usually don’t get the flu, so I don’t see why I should get a shot,” Cates said.
Although Cates would consider getting the flu shot and the H1N1 shot, like her peers, she does have concerns about getting the vaccines.
“It scares me, I don’t know how the vaccines will react with my system and other medications I take. Also, the H1N1 vaccine is relatively new and there is not that much research that has been done,” Cates said.
Tiffany Wires, 20, said she isn’t afraid of getting the shots.
“I have gotten the flu shot every year since I was 12 and have only gotten sick a few times, so I think it works pretty well, and the H1N1 shots, I still have to do some research before I get one,” Wires said.
