LEXINGTON, Ky. — With COVID-19 still active and the flu season around the coroner, the University of Kentucky isn't taking chances. For the first time ever, UK is requiring all students who live on campus or come on campus to get a flu shot.
Keeping the strain off the healthcare system and the university was a major factor in the decision to require any student who is on campus to get a flu shot this year.
University of Kentucky Professor and associate dean at UK's pharmacy school Craig Martin says the requirement for a vaccination to attend the school isn't new, but requiring a flu shot is a first time thing.
Both the flu and coronavirus present with many of the same symptoms, so UK's health care system hopes they'll be able to quickly make a determination of a student's illness. The university also wants to make sure they have plenty of open hospital beds and places to quarantine students.
"In a normal year, just like this year, there'd be a certain amount of flu that makes it way around campus and that's to be expected," Prof. Martin said. "In the COVID times, when those fevers or body aches or chills start showing up in the student population, we don't know whether they have COVID or the flu."
Science tells us Flu shots reduce the risk of flu illness. That's a fact.
But still, there has been some pushback from the community and questions about why the university is requiring students to get the shot., but not faculty and staff members.
"We want to be careful with supplies, which from year to year can be limited," said Jay Blanton, a University of Kentucky spokesman. "We gotta prioritize. We got a lot of students on campus already and students already on campus 24/7 day and night, so we thought it was important to prioritize students."
There will be exemptions granted for students who have medical or religious reasons to not get the shot.
Professor Martin says the consequences if the university didn't implement this requirement could range from inability to quarantine students on campus, to large Lexington-community spread, and even having to go remote once again.
"Without an evaluation of every single patient, you wont be able to tell the difference, so I think there are consequences beyond preventing individual flu cases," Prof. Martin said.
Students are required to get that flu shot by November 1st.If they don't have insurance that covers the shot, they'll get it for free.
Kentucky will host a flu shot program called Big Blue Flu Clinic on October 11 from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. at the Gatton Student Center. Other locations to receive the flu shot include The President’s Pavilion at Kroger Field (near Gates 9 and 10), The 90 and Gatton Student Center beginning on Oct. 18 – Oct. 31, and continuing through Oct. 31.
To make an appointment for the Big Blue Flu Clinic, click here.