A line of students stretched from the Bruin Bear to Pauley Pavilion on Tuesday to receive free flu shots from the UCLA Arthur Ashe Student Health and Wellness Center.
The influenza, or flu, season lasts from December to about March or April, and shots are usually taken two weeks ahead of the season, said nurse practitioner Evi Desser.
Free flu shot venues have been offered at UCLA for at least 10 years annually in four sites during the fall.
“(We try) to reach out to everyone on campus (and) to make it convenient,” said Desser.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that college students living in the residence halls get the shots.
“They live in close quarters. It is nice to get vaccinated to avoid a large outbreak,” Desser said. “(College students) respond very well to the vaccine. It is always worth it.”
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, influenza is a contagious disease caused by a virus. Symptoms include fevers, sore throats, coughs, headaches and chills.
According to the Ashe Center, when circulating viruses are closely related to those used in the vaccines, the shots can prevent illness in about 70 to 90 percent of healthy people younger than 65 years old.
If one is later exposed to the strain, students will be “prepped with immunity against a specific agent,” Desser said.
Students do not need to be fully healthy at the time of vaccination, Desser said.
Julie Morgentaler, a third-year musical theater student who said she was suffering from a runny nose, was one of the students who received a flu shot.
Morgentaler said that after being ill with a bad case of the flu last year, she wanted to receive the shot to prevent a recurrence.
Morgentaler said she was so ill with the flu last year that she could not get out of bed for a doctor’s note to excuse her from class. As a result, her grade was lowered.
“If you miss class, you’re kind of screwed,” Morgentaler said.
Desser said that by preventing the flu, the vaccination can help students academically.
“If you avoid severe illness during the quarter, then you’re more likely to get your work done,” she said.
Manuel Leal, a fourth-year economics student, was also waiting in the long line for the shot.
Last year on Christmas Eve, Leal was sick with the flu until January, he said.
He said after receiving the vaccination in 2005, he attempted to find a site the following year that offered the vaccination for free but was unsuccessful.
Everyone should consider getting a flu shot, Desser said, particularly people afflicted with asthma or diabetes and chronic illnesses, pregnant women, people over the age of 50 and health care and child care workers are suggested to get a flu shot as well.
But students should be aware that the vaccine has side effects, the most common of which is a slight soreness in the injection site which may last up to two days, according to the Ashe Center. Mild fever, fatigue and allergic reactions are also other side effects, though they are very rare, Desser said.
The next flu shot will take place in the Center for Health Sciences patio from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Friday, Nov. 9. A BruinCard is all students need in order to receive the vaccine.