University Health Services has extended the deadline for students to receive free flu vaccinations after a “particularly bad” strain of flu appeared on campus.
According to Director of Medical Services Bill Kinsey, the number of cases of influenza on campus are “significantly higher” this year than they have been in past years. The moderately severe flu season, Kinsey said, prompted the deadline extension.
“Public health officials reported that the number of cases are significantly higher this year than they have been in the past few years,” Kinsey said. “We’re concerned about the impact this could have on campus during the spring semester.”
Kinsey said the strain of flu going around, H3N2, is abnormal and often results in more severe symptoms — like fever, cough, sore throat, muscle aches, fatigue and headaches — than the more common strain.
“[H3N2] tends to cause a lot of additional symptoms that symptomatically really knock people out,” Kinsey said. “Symptoms usually last one to two weeks — that’s easily 15 percent of the semester that you’re feeling the full effects of the flu. It would really put you behind.”
The uncommon nature of the H3N2 strain of the flu has allowed it to become widespread, according to viral immunity expert Thomas Friedrich.
Friedrich said the strain of flu spreads because individuals have not had enough exposure to the virus to build an immune response. Additionally, he said the vaccine may not cover all strains that individuals may become infected with.
“There is possibility for some mismatch, I believe, in the strains that are going around and the strains that are being vaccinated for,” Friedrich said. “Even if you are vaccinated, you may be very well protected from some strains but not others.”
Friedrich said the most important thing to do during flu season is to get vaccinated.
“It’s never too late to get vaccinated,” he said. “It can’t hurt, it can really only help.”
UW-Madison recently participated in the The College/University Influenza Vaccination Challenge. The university vaccinated 11,600 students, beating out 31 schools nationwide to win the large school division of the challenge.
