Flu cases on campus are currently “really elevated,” in part because this year’s flu season peaked in early January, Chief Campus Health Officer Dr. Sarah Van Orman said in a briefing with campus media Tuesday. 

Flu cases typically peak sometime between December and February, but the timing of this year’s peak meant that students traveled and returned to campus in the midst of the outbreak, Van Orman said. Wastewater surveillance testing from the week of Jan. 11 detected “moderate” levels of the flu in Cowlings and Ilium Residential College, making it the highest level among the University’s ten monitored residential buildings. 

The flu virus spreads primarily through respiratory droplets, which are released from the mouth and nose while breathing, speaking, coughing or sneezing, according to Van Orman. She said she recommends handwashing, avoiding sharing items and cleaning commonly touched surfaces to reduce the flu’s spread. 

Van Orman said receiving the flu vaccine remains the most important and effective method of protection. She also said that while it is never too late to get vaccinated, it may not completely protect one from an already sick roommate because people with the flu are most contagious before symptoms appear. 

Students can receive a flu shot at King Hall at University Park Campus or Medical Plaza Pharmacy at Health Sciences Campus. The vaccine is fully covered for students who are on the Student Health Insurance Plan and costs $30 for students out-of-pocket.   

In 2022, the flu and pneumonia was the 12th leading cause of death in the United States; the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s most recent data  estimates there were 28,000 deaths during the 2023-2024 season. In 2010, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services set a goal to get 70% of all Americans vaccinated against the flu by 2020. At the time, below 40% of adults got their yearly flu shot. Today, that figure sits at around 45%, according to CDC data. 

Over-the-counter flu tests are available in the Engemann or Eric Cohen student health centers. Van Orman said students can also undergo Polymerase Chain Reaction testing, a test to diagnose bacterial and viral infections, at either location, which is more accurate at detecting the flu. 

According to Van Orman, taking antiviral medications within 24 to 48 hours of experiencing flu symptoms can shorten the flu’s duration by about one day, but may come with side effects like vomiting. 

“It’s kinda mixed on whether to take antiviral medications,” Van Orman said. “We encourage students [to] do a telemedicine appointment. You don’t necessarily have to come in, and you can discuss what to do next with a healthcare provider.”

Van Orman said having conversations with vaccine-hesitant patients can be “tricky,” and that it is unhelpful to shame individuals who don’t want to get vaccinated due to their beliefs. 

“The most important thing to do is understand why that person has that viewpoint,” Van Orman said. “Is there disinformation? Is there a way to engage with that person, to provide them with a different set of information that actually is then targeted or focused on what [is driving their beliefs]?”

Another round of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices recommended changes was formally adopted by the CDC earlier this month; the flu vaccine is now only recommended for children with “high risk” or if they have consulted with a healthcare provider. ACIP leader Dr. Kirk Milhoan suggested making polio and measles vaccines optional on Jan. 2 as a guest on the podcast “Why Should I Trust You,” according to the New York Times. 

Many medical organizations have disagreed with the CDC’s recommended immunization schedules for children, including the American Academy of Pediatrics and the ​​American Medical Association. The University requires students to be immunized against measles, mumps, varicella and meningococcal disease, and Student Health “strongly recommends” eight other vaccines, including those for the flu, COVID-19,HPV and polio. 

“We [will] not be reducing our requirements,” Van Orman said. “As a University, what we’ve really focused on, for our requirements, are those vaccines that we know have an immediate impact on public health.”