According to the CDC, the 2023-2024 flu season, which ranged from October 1 to April 30, resulted in 34-75 million infections across the continental United States, with at least 380,000 hospitalizations and 17,000 deaths. Now into late September, we once again find ourselves rapidly approaching the cold and flu season of 2024-2025, left with limited time to prepare for the coming slurry of various strains of viruses and bacteria that may leave us bedridden for days, or worse, makes us late for a lecture. With so many microbial threats, where do we even begin to protect ourselves?
“By getting your flu vaccine. We have it here at the Wellness Center. It’s going to protect against four different strains of Influenza. We want to get people vaccinated so we have fewer people sick and fewer transmissions,” says Denise Snyder, M.S.N, ARNP, and Director of Health Services at Rollins College.
An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure, so the saying goes. Getting vaccinated against Influenza’s various viral strains is a stalwart defense against the season’s sicknesses. However, students must also take an active role in maintaining their own health and safety; a single job alone will not suffice as a means of protection.
Snyder explains that taking good care of yourself is crucial to preventing illness. “We know that if we’re getting good restful sleep, if we’re eating well, and if we’re getting the daily exercise we need, we’re going to be better physically,” she says.
It is also important to remember that maintaining your physical health is not just about eating right and getting moving. Staying fit also involves getting a good night’s rest, and no, downing three Red Bulls before your 8 a.m. class in the Bush Café is not a replacement for sleep. Snyder says that when students do not sleep well, they are more prone to getting sick.
However hard you try to keep yourself free of illness this cold and flu season, you may find yourself ill. Then what? Students can use self-scheduling links to make Wellness Center appointments for health services and counseling (CAPS). You can also request appointments online or call 407-628-6340 for same day appointments.
“Don’t go to classes if you’re running a fever, at least until they’re medically evaluated,” says Snyder.
What is paramount to this advice is the heart of why we must engage in these best practices. We must care for, not just ourselves, but for our community. “We don’t know if the person sitting next to us has an immunocompromised situation. If we can all do our little parts, I think we can really have a safe and healthy community,” Snyder reminds us.
This cold and flu season, make sure to stay safe, stay healthy, and make good choices to keep our community healthy and prospering.
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