Thanksgiving break is the perfect time to reconnect with family, catch up on sleep and take preventive measures against the upcoming “moderate to mid-severe” flu season, USC’s Chief Campus Health Officer Dr. Sarah Van Orman said in a briefing with campus media Nov. 18.

Van Orman advises students to be vigilant amid flu season 

Students traveling for the Thanksgiving Holiday should wash their hands, avoid touching their face and wear a mask to protect themselves from “germy” transit hubs, Van Orman said.

Flu season typically peaks between early December and early January. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention classified last year’s flu season as “high” severity across all ages. This year’s flu vaccine formulation may be less effective against the predicted dominant strain, H3N2, according to the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control.

“It’s not going to be a mild season,” Van Orman said. “Thanksgiving break [is] the perfect time to go to Costco on Black Friday … or wherever you want to go and get your flu shot.”

Student Health does not provide medical excuses, nor does it require students to obtain medical excuses for short-term absences due to illness. If a professor requests one, students may reach out to Student Health for assistance, she said. 

“We’ve shared the policy with faculty about sick notes, because we know sick notes don’t necessarily do any good,” Van Orman said. “It’s really important that people are not forced to come in and do exams and things while they’re sick.”   

Student Health now offering new PrEP medication

On top of offering various PrEP and PEP medications to students, Student Health expanded its HIV prevention medications this semester with lenacapavir, a twice-per-year injection the Food and Drug Administration approved in June. 

In September, the CDC announced it “highly” recommends the drug, citing its effectiveness, lack of serious side effects and long-lasting protection. Before lenacapavir, three FDA-approved PrEP medications were available to the public: two require daily oral tablets, and the third is a bi-monthly injection. 

In 2023, approximately 100 people were diagnosed with HIV each day in the U.S., and about 12 people aged 13 or older died daily from HIV-related causes, according to the CDC.

Van Orman said Student Health is attempting to further integrate sexually transmitted infection screenings into its daily interactions with students. One particular point of emphasis, she said, is increasing chlamydia screenings for everyone who visits Student Health in -person because most people with chlamydia are asymptomatic.  

“We try really hard to ask [students] about chlamydia screening while they’re there, ‘Hey, you’re here for your sprained ankle. Did you know it looks like you’ve not had chlamydia screening? Would you like to go to the labs today?’” Van Orman said. 

Students can directly order their own screening via MySHR and then go to the Engemann or Eric Cohen Student Health Centers at University Park Campus and Health Sciences Campus, respectively, for a urine sample collection. STI testing is fully covered for students on the Student Health Insurance Plan.

FDA changes guidance for fluoride supplements

The University, along with 89% of Los Angeles County residences, receives water with at least some added fluoride, according to 2019 county data. That could change, however, as the Environmental Protection Agency reviews fluoridated drinking water and recent federal decisions signal growing skepticism of the practice. 

In the past year, the federal government has ramped up its scrutiny of vaccines, medical research and now fluoride, a naturally -occurring mineral found in nearly all soil and water. 

On Oct. 31, the Food and Drug Administration changed its recommendations on fluoride supplements, advising against their use by children under 3 and by older children who are not at high risk for tooth decay. 

Fluoride supplements are typically prescribed by doctors and dentists to children who are at risk for cavities and do not have access to fluoridated public water. The FDA’s new recommendations do not ban doctors or dentists from prescribing them. 

“A little fluoride is amazing,” Van Orman said. “Too much fluoride is a bad thing. What is ironic about this is that fluoridated drinking water is actually probably the safest thing, because it provides that very low level, people don’t have to monitor [their personal intake].”      

The FDA, in a press release announcing the recommendation changes, cited three concerns: Fluoride may alter the gut microbiome, may be linked to decreases in IQ and has never been reviewed or approved by the agency as a drug product. 

The move and its justifications have drawn criticism from the American Academy of Pediatrics, American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry and the American Dental Association.

Van Orman said that historically, public health policy was created by synthesizing evidence across multiple data sources and weighing various risks and benefits. 

“I think what’s happening now is we’re tending to get a single article, a single source that kind of fits with maybe a narrative we want, and then we’re making a public policy recommendation based on that,” Van Orman said. “We have to continue to study, recognizing that maybe we need to switch our policy. But it needs to be done slowly and carefully.”