In response to growing concerns over contracting the flu this season and an abundance of available flu vaccines, hundreds of Boston University students turned out Tuesday to receive their flu shot provided by Maxim Health Systems at the Fuller Building.
The cost of the flu shots was $25 and BU students could pay for it using cash, checks or their BU student account.
In contrast to last year’s national shortage, College of Arts and Sciences freshman Mark Wojnarowicz said this year’s availability of flu shots prompted him to come to the clinic.
“In the past, in my town I’ve always been denied one or they ran out,” he said. “And I finally got the chance to get one. With all these people here I didn’t want to get sick.”
Maxim Health Systems Account Executive Frank Masprella said there was no scarcity of flu vaccine this season and the company buys their flu vaccine directly from the manufacturer, Sanofi Pasteur.
“We give 2.8 million doses across the country,” he said.
School of Management freshman Theresa Bergner said asthma coupled with close contact with other students puts her at a higher risk for contracting the flu.
“I’m asthmatic,” she said. “So I’m more prone and if I get the flu there will be much more serious consequences. Just being in college and going out and sharing drinks and all that other stuff makes you more likely to get it.”
Maxim Health Systems assistant Tracy Adkins said the organization came to the university prepared with the correct number of flu shots so that the company would not have to turn people away.
“[Maxim] usually calls up ahead of time to get the info and get a feel for [that year’s demand],” she said. “That determines how many shots we bring to each clinic. They pretty much know ahead of time. They expected a little over a thousand here today.”
Sargent College of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences graduate student Hilary Habershaw said she was better informed of the time and location of the flu clinic this year, although this is the first year the university has brought in a private company to provide vaccinations.
“I don’t remember them sending out an email last year and I got one this year,” she said. “Last time, I came during the last hour and it was packed. I think someone should be handing out [registration forms] at the door.”
Bergner said she was surprised by the efficiency of the clinic.
“I thought it would be much worse,” she said. “I thought I was going to have to get here before 12. I was on a list over at [Student Health Services] and they called me and told me they weren’t getting any flu shots. They told me to come to one of these clinics to get it.”
Adkins said Maxim has hired over 750 nurses for the season to travel the East Coast to set up clinics.
“Everything is very smooth,” she said. “We have special clerks to do the paperwork, collect money, make sure insurance information gets going and then we have the nurses down there in an assembly line. That way we take the paperwork send it to Maxim, Maxim bills the appropriate people and we’re done.”
School of Law student Jamie Beard said she is getting a flu shot this year because it is her first time living in a densely populated area since moving from Vermont.
“I just moved to the city,” she said. “Just being around so many people makes me more aware of it.”
