To combat the annual flu season, which typically occurs between October to May, Chaminade University hosted their yearly flu clinic partnered with CVS Pharmacy to promote wellness among the Chaminade community.

Chaminade University’s OSAL (Office of Student Activities & Leadership) coordinates various health and wellness events to encourage Chaminade students, faculty, and staff to live a healthy lifestyle. Some of the health and wellness events CUH hosts on campus include the blood drive, flu clinic, fitness demos, and guided meditations.

“In this role, we want to make sure we are providing as many resources, especially health and wellness to our student body and to our community,” said Pisila Tukia, OSAL’s Health and Wellness Specialist. “Everybody has a choice and it’s up to you if that’s what you want to do.”

On Wednesday, OSAL’s Health and Wellness specialists, Tukia and Melissa Dela Cruz hosted their annual flu clinic that took place at Zuberano Lawn from 12 p.m. to 4 p.m. The event was hosted by CVS pharmacy where an immunizing pharmacist came to campus to distribute the flu vaccine. All students who participated were expected to register via the link OSAL created to keep track of the number of students and their names who wished to participate.

Chaminade’s flu clinic typically occurs during the Fall season that takes place under Tukia’s role in order to oversee health and wellness initiatives.

Fourth-year Biology major and OSAL’s Health and Wellness Coordinator, Dela Cruz said that this year more faculty signed up to receive their flu vaccine compared to students. There were 80 doses, and the clinic also had walk-in slots that students took advantage of.

According to Dela Cruz, there were officially 48 people signed up including students, faculty, and staff with the addition of walk-ins.

“This is just one of the ways to protect yourself from getting sick,” Cruz said.

Fourth-year psychology major Josephine Iose, Chaminade’s Student Government Association president said she would rather be safe than sorry when getting flu vaccinated, but also was convinced to get it on campus because of the convenience.

“It’s always up to the student whether they want to have it or not,” she said. “I don’t usually do it in public spaces. I usually go to the clinic at Straub and do it there, but the convenience is really nice.”

CUH’s campus minister Rhea Quemado said keeping the community safe was one of her biggest reasons for getting the flu vaccine right on campus instead of having to go out of her way to schedule their own appointments.

“It was easier than I could go on campus rather than trying to book it somewhere else,” Quemado said. “I have always gotten vaccines. It’s helped me, but it also helps the community, I feel, in terms of making sure we are all protected.”

“My church encourages us to get vaccinated for the common good,” she said.

On average, 8% of the United States gets the flu virus during flu season, and between 140,000 and 960,000 are hospitalized with complications from the flu. Anywhere between 12,000 and 79,000 people die from the flu each year, according to the CDC.

“I am glad they (CUH) are giving us the option, and it’s not something the school is forcing us to do,” Quemado said.

According to OSAL’s Health & Wellness Specialists, Chaminade’s 2020 flu clinic was the largest one they hosted yet with 119 people signed up. A majority of the signups were CUH nursing students due to the flu shot being one of the requirements for completing clinicals last year.

Chaminade University has partnered with CVS to host the flu clinic for quite some time now, so it was a fairly easy process coordinating with the pharmacists to come to campus and distribute the vaccination, thus this being an annual event for more than five years now.

The CUH flu clinic only averages 50 to 75 people each year. In addition, there is also a certain quota that Chaminade has to reach in order for CVS Pharmacy to sponsor the event on campus.

“We’ve been partnered with them for so long that we are already used to their routine,” Cruz said. “The only difficult part is getting people to sign up for the flu shot because you need a certain amount of reservations for them to be here.”

Chaminade’s annual flu clinic is just one of the ways students can conveniently access flu shots without the stress of transportation and scheduling.

“The fact that the school offers the option is helpful, especially for students who don’t have transportation to a clinic or are able to go and schedule,” Quemado said.

To schedule an appointment for a flu shot at no cost with most insurance plans, visit CVS pharmacy’s website or visit a local pharmacy.