South Dakota State University will host a flu-shot clinic for students Oct. 20 at the Miller Wellness Center MAC Court to help mitigate the spread of influenza this winter.

The clinic runs Thursday, Oct. 20, from 12:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. and is available to students at no cost. 

Janae Jacobsen, a nurse practitioner at the clinic, encourages students to come into the Student Health Clinic in the Miller Wellness Center if they are sick.

“We are here for a reason; to help students with any health complications and to provide health promotion,” Jacobsen said.

Seventy-five percent of the students the staff sees coming into the clinic are diagnosed with respiratory infections. This is due to having more contact with other students and different germs. To help prevent this, students should make sure to clean and sanitize often by wiping down everything in their dorms. Students should also make sure to wash their hands more often.

“Students tend to not get enough sleep and hydration, which are the most important things needed to stay healthy,” Jacobsen said.

Students should also take a daily multivitamin for their health.

If you want to take an over-the-counter medication, Jacobsen recommends going into the Jackrabbit Pharmacy and talking to a pharmacist. The pharmacy is next to the student health clinic in the Miller Wellness Center.

“I make sure that I get plenty of rest and hydration and I also take over-the-counter medications,” said Anna Moser, a student at SDSU. “I feel unproductive and I can’t get everything done to the best of my ability, as I don’t feel my absolute best.”

Jacobsen also recommends that students get the flu shot. It helps students living in communal dorms, which have many contagious germs.

With students catching illnesses during the fall and winter months, some professors see a decline in attendance. 

“If something like COVID or a similar epidemic is prevalent and is reducing attendance significantly, I would consider transitioning classes from in-person to online,” said Samitinjaya Dhakal, a graduate research assistant at SDSU. “However, online classes are not as interactive, and the student learning outcomes would be lower than in-person classes.”

To schedule an appointment, you can call in to the clinic or go online to schedule through your patient portal on MyState or the student health clinic website. Walk-ins are not accepted because of limited staff, but emergencies are permissible.