John Taylor, Professor of Economics at Stanford University and developer of the "Taylor Rule" for setting interest rates | Stanford University
John Taylor, Professor of Economics at Stanford University and developer of the "Taylor Rule" for setting interest rates | Stanford University
Free flu vaccinations are being offered to the Stanford University community throughout October. Faculty, staff, and postdocs can receive their shots at various drop-in clinics across campus locations, including Stanford's main campus, Stanford Redwood City, and Hopkins Marine Station. Students have the option of getting vaccinated at Walgreens located at Vaden without needing an appointment or by scheduling one at the Vaden Health Services injection clinic.
The flu clinics operate on weekdays from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., with faculty and staff encouraged to complete an online consent form prior to attending. They must also present their Stanford ID at the clinic. Vaccinations for spouses and domestic partners come with a fee of $45.
The Occupational Health Center (SUOHC) is facilitating free vaccinations as part of its efforts to curb flu transmission within the university community. "Getting vaccinated reduces the likelihood of getting the flu and passing it to others," noted Dr. Rich Wittman from SUOHC.
This year’s trivalent vaccine targets three influenza lineages: two influenza A strains (H1N1 and H3N2) and one B strain (B/Victoria). The change from last year's quadrivalent formula is due to reduced risk from one of the B strains (B/Yamagata), which has not been detected since early 2020.
For those aged 65 years and older, Dr. Wittman recommends opting for a high-dose flu vaccine due to increased vulnerability to severe symptoms: “Flu hospitalization rates in those 65 and older were more than five times greater than for this younger group.” High-dose vaccines enhance immune response compared to standard doses.
Public health dashboards such as WastewaterSCAN and CDC tools offer insights into local flu activity levels, helping individuals make informed decisions about preventive measures during travel-heavy holiday seasons. "Data such as this can be useful to monitor trends and cue behavior change,” said Wittman.
For further details on vaccination schedules and locations, interested parties are directed to visit the Flu Program website provided by Stanford University.
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