Want to keep the party going? Maybe it’s time to get the COVID-19 booster and flu vaccine.

In college, thousands of students come from all around the world, bringing germs along with them.

Flu season typically begins in October and lasts until May, according to the Florida Health Department. With a few weeks left before the start, it is important for students to get the flu vaccine and COVID-19 booster. 

Don’t wait until flu season actually begins and you see everyone in your class coughing. 

No one likes being sick.

Every time I feel the onset of a clogged nostril, I instantly regret not being thankful for all the times I could breathe properly.

I learned my lesson of keeping up with vaccines and boosters when I got COVID-19 for the first time this month. Now, I’ll make sure to make my routine visit to my local clinic for my shots every year. 

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When students stay up to date with their vaccines and boosters, they can maximize their time in class.

And let’s face it, missing class sounds a lot more fun than it actually is. No one wants to deal with catching up on classwork while dealing with a fever and body pain.

“[COVID-19] has taken an incredible toll on the ability of students to attend classes, events, and even graduation, not to mention the students now struggling with long Covid,” said professor Jill Roberts from the College of Public Health.  

Students shouldn’t underestimate the risk of both diseases and should get vaccinated for this upcoming flu season, according to Roberts.

Over 48% of college students have COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy, according to a 2023 study from the National Library of Medicine. And although the rates have decreased significantly since the past four years, there are still many reported cases of COVID-19.

In Florida, there have been about 372,681 cases in 2024 so far. Over 24,000 of those are from Hillsborough County.

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Roberts said getting the vaccines can prevent people from getting sick while also decreasing the likelihood of spreading the flu to other people.

Both the flu and COVID-19 can be highly contagious but spread differently, according to Roberts.

“Influenza is spread by droplets and in a college or dorm room setting may be spread by contaminated surfaces, sharing items such as cups, and coughing,” said Roberts. “[COVID-19] spreads much more efficiently than influenza and persons in close contact with an infected individual can easily catch it by breathing in the virus.”

Do you really want to be ground zero for the flu whenever your whole family gets sick? You’ll get blamed endlessly.

There are many locations where the vaccines are offered such as CVS, Walgreens and USF’s Student Health and Wellness Center. These locations make it easy and fast to get the vaccinations at a low cost. 

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The Student Health and Wellness Center also offers shots to help with other diseases like Hepatitis A and B, Meningitis B, and TDAP (Tetanus, Diphtheria and Pertussis).

The center will be giving out flu vaccines starting this month but has not announced a specific date yet, according to its website.

When living in close quarters with someone in the dorms and being exposed to so many people, it’s important to be protected – especially when going out to parties and clubs.

So take a different type of shot this time – to fight against COVID-19 and the flu.