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(10/05/18 3:21pm)
Although the weather may not seem to agree yet, summer is coming to a close at IUPUI and bringing in the next season. Some call it autumn. Others call it fall. But one name we can all agree on is “flu season.”
No matter what you call it, Student Health is ready to help prepare students. IUPUI Student Health Services hosted a successful Vaccination Clinic this past Wednesday, with over 700 students joining in on the Get Poked! Event. Vaccinations are still available to any student who did not get to attend.
“IUPUI Campus Health is already offering the flu vaccine to all students,” said Dr. Katherine Head, a professor of Health Communication. “There’s no appointment needed; students can go by Campus Health in Coleman Hall or the Campus Center Student Health office and ask for the vaccine.”
Health Services didn’t stop at flu vaccinations, either. Partnering with the Indiana State Department of Health, Health Services provided not only 1,000 vaccinations for the flu, but also 500 vaccinations for HPV. DOH also provided another 500 for Meningitis B, which recently joined the list of vaccinations required on IU campuses. Only about two years old, the Meningitis B vaccination proved to be high in demand and ran out shortly before the Get Poked! event ended. More vaccinations are already available at Campus Center and Coleman Hall.
While it is common for college students to go to the doctor less regularly, Dr. Head still urged students to take the time to get vaccinated for the flu. Although it may seem like a harmless inconvenience, she said that there are a number of reasons to get protected against the virus.
“Getting vaccinated is the best way to protect yourself from getting the flu and reduces the risk of getting the flu by 40-60%,” she said. “And even if you do contract the virus, the flu vaccine can help lessen the severity of the disease.”
Staying healthy ought to be a top priority for students. Many of us juggle classes, jobs, internships, and other responsibilities that demand our time and energy. Staying sick for a week or two is out of the question. If you do catch the flu, it is best to start treatment within the first two days of being sick, said Dr. Steven Wintermeyer, Director of Student Health. The major symptom for flu is a fever, so even buying a simple thermometer can help students be aware of their health and lessen the severity of the flu.
Vaccinations, early treatment, and careful hygiene habits aren’t just beneficial to our individual health. They also promote a healthier community overall. Last year proved to be the worst year for flu fatalities. The CDC reported that 80,000 Americans died of the flu in the winter of 2017, including 180 young children and teenagers. This is well above the typical average, which is approximately 46,000 according to Dr. Wintermeyer. “Getting vaccinated also helps provide protection to people who can’t get the flu vaccine, like small babies or immune-compromised people,” said Dr. Head. “The more people who are vaccinated, the healthier we all are.”
Dr. Wintermeyer agreed. People with asthma and pregnant women also have a higher risk of developing worse conditions after getting the flu, he said. “If they are immune-compromised, they can’t fight off the infections well. If they don’t seek treatment and hold off, the flu may develop into pneumonia.”
While vaccinations serve as an effective defense against the flu, it is important to remember healthy habits. Everyone should wash their hands regularly, cough into their elbows, and clean communal surfaces at least once a day. Also, be sure to sanitize phones and laptops frequently. This season, keep the spaces around you clean.
(09/14/18 3:49pm)
For us students, a backpack is just a way of holding our laptops and expressing our styles. For them, a backpack is a portable home. For Dr. Carrie Foote, a backpack can be a way of connecting our communities through service.
This marks the first year of the Harm Reduction Program Supply Drive, run by Dr. Foote and her Sociology AIDS and Society Class. The Supply Drive is a way of collecting donations that benefit people living with substance abuse disorder, housing and food insecurity, and who are living with HIV in Indiana.
What exactly is harm reduction? Check out any of the Supply Drive posters and they’ll tell you. Harm reduction is a combination of ways to lessen the harms of drug and alcohol abuse. Most importantly, harm reduction is non-judgmental and “meets people where they are at.”
“These are people who have challenges,” said Dr. Foote.
If you frequent Cavanaugh Hall, you may have already seen the blue and white boxes on the third floor outside of the Sociology department. You may have even spotted a few blankets inside them, or a case of canned food. Every coat, toothbrush, and pair of socks are delivered to the Scott County Health Department, about a two hour drive south from campus, and the Indiana Recovery Alliance based in Bloomington.
When Dr. Foote first reached out to Scott County in 2016, she intended to find out what resources she could offer to the struggling community. Just the year before, Scott County captured national attention after a massive HIV outbreak among injection drug users in rural areas. Previously, there was a widespread belief that mass drug addiction and outbreaks only happened in urban cities. But in recent years, the opioid crisis has shifted the conversation – addiction can happen to anyone, anywhere. And Dr. Foote knows this better than most.
“I’m also a woman living with HIV,” she said in an interview. “I’ve been living with HIV for 30 years and I contracted HIV from injection drug use.”
After overcoming her addiction, she earned her PhD in Sociology and devoted her life to researching HIV/AIDS and the relationships between people living with HIV and their community. People who struggle with substance abuse disorder are constantly on her radar, and she invites others to join her in works of service.
Every semester, students from Sociology R385: AIDS and Society must complete a service-based experiential project. Typically, this entails donating needed materials to the Scott County Health Department and shadowing Health Department practitioners. But this year, Dr. Carrie Foote is extending the opportunity to the entire campus.
“This is the very first year that I’ve used the donation boxes in the hallways and the very first year that I also advertised around campus.”
So what do these donation boxes need most? One of the biggest needs are protein-based foods. Many sufferers of addiction don’t have electricity to power refrigerators or microwaves, so food items ought to be nonperishable. They also have limited access to dental care, so food must be soft and easily chewable as well.
Feminine hygiene products are also valuable. Donating menstrual products promotes health, comfort, and dignity.
For those who are homeless or who couch surf, backpacks are indispensable. Backpacks serve as a secure way to store belongings and keep food safe. Luckily, this is a college campus – backpacks shouldn’t be hard to come by.
Above all these items, the most requested item for people who are homeless are socks. Worn down from walking, weather exposure, and sweat, even a sturdy pair of socks will need to be replaced quickly. With the fall and winter seasons arriving, it’s also important to consider donating gloves, hats, and scarves.
Anybody can donate, and if you would like to set up a box your office or department, contact Dr. Carrie Foote.