University and local health officials are encouraging students to get both the H1N1 and the seasonal vaccine while it lasts, as national flu vaccine shortages continue to affect the Penn State community.
Today is the last scheduled day students can get the seasonal flu vaccine in the HUB-Robeson Center for $26, which will be billed to bursar accounts, University Health Services (UHS) Senior Associate Director Doris Guanowsky said.
Thursday marks the end of the UHS-administered mass H1N1 nasal vaccines, which are free. Students can schedule an appointment online at www.sa.psu. edu/uhs.
"You need a vaccine to protect you from each one," Guanowsky said. "There are two different strands going around."
Although UHS originally ordered about 30,000 H1N1 vaccines, it has only received
4,800 vaccines to date and is uncertain when more will become available, she said.
"The production is way down than what they had expected," Guanowsky said. "If we get more vaccines, then we'll open up more appointments. This is the last one as of now."
The H1N1 virus has infected college-aged groups more than those older -- another reason students should get vaccinated, Guanowsky said.
Penn State officials said the university could have charged a fee for students to get the H1N1 vaccine to help cover administrative costs but opted not to in an effort to get as many people vaccinated as possible, Guanowsky said.
One place students won't likely be able to get vaccinated for H1N1 or the seasonal flu is local hospital Mount Nittany Medical Center. Hospital officials are only immunizing their own employees, physicians and volunteers, hospital occupational health coordinator Emma Smith said.
"We're sort of at the mercy of the government," Smith said.
Geisinger Medical Center in Danville is offering vaccines to anyone as they are available, Geisinger administrative supervisor for nursing services Jean Wolfe said.
Wolfe warned locals to also get the vaccine.
"Since you are a college town and it seems to be something that's affecting college-aged students, you have more of a concentration," Wolfe said. "We're advising everybody to get them."
