#FightFluPSU

Influenza (flu) can cause mild to severe illness, and at times can lead to death. Flu is different from a cold. Flu usually comes on suddenly. People who have flu often feel some or all of these symptoms:

• fever* or feeling feverish/chills
• cough
• sore throat
• runny or stuffy nose
• muscle or body aches
• headaches
• fatigue (tiredness)
• some people may have vomiting and diarrhea, though this is more common in children than adults.

*It’s important to note that not everyone with flu will have a fever.

Most experts believe that flu viruses spread mainly by tiny droplets made when people with flu cough, sneeze or talk. These droplets can land in the mouths or noses of people who are nearby. Less often, a person might get flu by touching a surface or object that has flu virus on it and then touching their own mouth, nose or possibly their eyes.

You may be able to spread flu to someone else before you know you are sick, as well as while you are sick.

• People with flu are most contagious in the first 3-4 days after their illness begins.
• Some otherwise healthy adults may be able to infect others beginning 1 day before symptoms develop and up to 5 to 7 days after becoming sick.
• Some people, especially young children and people with weakened immune systems, might be able to infect others for an even longer time.

Anyone can get flu (even healthy people), and serious problems related to flu can happen at any age, but some people are at high risk of developing serious flu-related complications if they get sick. This includes people 65 years and older, people of any age with certain chronic medical conditions (such as asthma, diabetes, or heart disease), pregnant women, and children younger than 5 years.

1. Go to "Forms" in myUHS and make sure that you have completed the Consent to Treat, Notice of Privacy Practices, and the Student Account Billing and Financial Aid Statement.

2. Go to "Insurance Cards" and upload your Health Insurance Card.  If there is no insurance on file, charges will be billed to your Student Account.

3. Bring your Student ID with you to the visit.

Please note: Students do not need to bring insurance cards to the vaccine clinics and should be uploaded ahead of time. We will not be able to process them at the clinics.

Students attending a flu vaccine clinic should bring their Penn State ID. If a student does not have health insurance (or University Health Services does not have their insurance information on file) there will be a fee of $74.00 billed to their Bursar account. It is covered by most insurances, but there may be resources available to you if there are concerns about cost. Please contact a UHS Case Manager at 814-865-4UHS (4847).

University Health Services administers the Fluarix Quadrivalent flu vaccine. This vaccine is thimerosal-free and latex-free.

Fact:

Flu vaccines cannot cause flu illness. Flu vaccines given with a needle (i.e., flu shots) are made with either inactivated (killed) viruses, or with only a single protein from the flu virus.  The nasal spray vaccine contains live viruses that are attenuated (weakened) so that they will not cause illness. 

(CDC) 

Fact:

The flu can be a serious disease, particularly among young children, older adults, and people with certain chronic health conditions, such as asthma, heart disease, or diabetes.  

Any flu infection can carry a risk of serious complications, hospitalization, or death, even among otherwise healthy children and adults. Therefore, getting vaccinated is a safer choice than risking illness to obtain immune protection. 

(CDC) 

Fact:

Even healthy folks can benefit from being vaccinated. The CDC recommends yearly vaccination against influenza for everyone older than 6 months of age, including pregnant women. 

(Harvard Medical School) 

Fact:

The influenza virus changes (mutates) each year. Getting vaccinated each year is important to make sure you have immunity to the strains most likely to cause an outbreak. 

(Harvard Medical School) 

Fact:

Actually, 20% to 30% of people carrying the influenza virus have no symptoms. 

(Harvard Medical School) 

Fact:

Unfortunately, a flu-free history does not guarantee a flu-free future. Flu strains evolve and change over time, which means you are at risk every year you avoid getting vaccinated. In addition, when you skip your shot you can still carry and pass flu germs to others. 

(Health Partners)

Fact:

Flu is not just a bad cold—it can be far more serious, and can cause high fever, headaches, and body aches, chills, and severe fatigue for up to 2 weeks or more. Flu can also lead to more serious complications and even death. In the US, millions of people get sick, hundreds of thousands are hospitalized, and thousands or tens of thousands die from the flu every year.

(National Foundation for Infectious Diseases)

Fact:

Almost all individuals who get vaccinated against flu do not experience serious side effects. Some may experience a sore arm at the injection site. Those who receive a flu vaccine may experience fever, muscle pain, and feelings of discomfort or weakness. These side effects typically last 1-2 days after vaccination and are much less severe than actual flu illness. The risk of a flu vaccine causing serious harm or death is extremely small.

(National Foundation for Infectious Diseases)

Influenza (Flu) and COVID-19 are both contagious respiratory illnesses, but they are caused by different viruses. COVID-19 is caused by infection with a coronavirus first identified in 2019, and flu is caused by infection with influenza viruses. Because some of the symptoms of flu and COVID-19 are similar, the difference between them cannot be made based on symptoms alone. Testing is needed to tell what the illness is and to confirm a diagnosis. People can be infected with both flu and the virus that causes COVID-19 at the same time and have symptoms of both influenza and COVID-19. 

• COVID-19 seems to spread more easily than flu and causes more serious illnesses in some people
• COVID-19 can take longer before people show symptoms and people can be contagious for longer

Both COVID-19 and flu can have varying degrees of signs and symptoms, ranging from no symptoms (asymptomatic) to severe symptoms. Common symptoms that COVID-19 and flu share include:

• Fever or feeling feverish/having chills
• Cough
• Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
• Fatigue (tiredness)
• Sore throat
• Runny or stuffy nose
• Muscle pain or body aches
• Headache
• Vomiting and diarrhea
• Change in or loss of taste or smell, although this is more frequent with COVID-19.

Flu Symptoms

COVID-19 Symptoms

Similarities:

For both COVID-19 and flu, 1 or more days can pass between when a person becomes infected and when he or she starts to experience illness symptoms.

Differences:

If a person has COVID-19, it could take them longer to experience symptoms than if they had flu.

Flu

Typically, a person experiences symptoms anywhere from 1 to 4 days after infection.

Flu Symptoms

COVID-19

Typically, a person experiences symptoms about 5 days after being infected, but symptoms can appear 2 to 14 days after infection.

COVID-19 Symptoms

Yes. It is possible to have flu, as well as other respiratory illnesses, and COVID-19 at the same time. Health experts are still studying how common this can be.

Some of the symptoms of flu and COVID-19 are similar, making it hard to tell the difference between them based on symptoms alone. Diagnostic testing can help determine if you are sick with flu or COVID-19.

Flu and COVID-19 can both result in serious illness, including illness resulting in hospitalization or death. While there is still much to learn about COVID-19, at this time, it does seem as if COVID-19 is more deadly than seasonal influenza; however, it is too early to draw any conclusions from the current data. This may change as we learn more about the number of people who are infected who have mild illnesses.

There is no evidence that getting a flu vaccination increases your risk of getting sick from a coronavirus, like the one that causes COVID-19.