Sack the flu, protect our patients - get blitzed

The Office of Student/Employee Health will host the Medical Center's annual Flu Blitz at four locations throughout the Medical Center campus from 7:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Thursday-Friday, Oct. 15-16.

Flu vaccination compliance is mandatory for all Medical Center employees and students. The flu vaccine is available free of charge through Student/Employee Health.

"Many people don't feel they need the vaccine, because they think they never get the flu," said Dr. Skip Nolan, professor and director of the Division of Infectious Diseases. "This simply isn't true. Everyone gets the flu . .  it just may not present as the full-blown flu syndrome, but as a cold.

"Health-care providers with colds often . . . come to work and infect our vulnerable patients with the flu. Flu in these folks can be fatal."

Flu blitz locations include the clinical sciences walkway, the foyer outside the Rowland Medical Library, the hallway between the old and new University Hospital, and across from the cafeteria in the Winfred L. Wiser Hospital for Women and Infants.

A "mini-blitz" will be held later at the Jackson Medical Mall but the details aren't final.

Employees and students who miss receiving the vaccine during the blitz still can get it in the Office of Student/Employee Health. For more information, call 4-1185 or email flu@umc.edu.

Nurse volunteers are needed to help with the blitz. For more information, click here.