Employees are urged to get free seasonal flu shots now

One by one, Dean Pascal J. Goldschmidt, M.D., and members of his executive team rolled up their sleeves Monday morning to receive their annual flu vaccinations. In almost no time the process, an efficient one organized by the Employee Health Office, was over and everyone was back at work.

With flu season fast approaching, the top administrators made sure to get the shots to protect themselves and send a clear signal to faculty, staff and students that it is imperative they do the same.

"It is absolutely critical for the employees of this University and medical school to get 100 percent vaccination [for the regular flu] so that at a time when we also have to deal with swine flu, nobody is getting the regular flu and contributing to challenging the wellness of our community," Goldschmidt said after he received his flu shot. "We have to be responsible and do what's right to prevent our employees from having the seasonal flu. And once a vaccine becomes available for the swine flu, we will also start a campaign for vaccinations to avoid that problem for our employees."

The seasonal flu vaccine will not protect against the H1N1 influenza virus also known as swine flu. Once the H1N1 vaccine is developed and made available through the Centers for Disease Control - possibly as early as next month - employees will be notified.