Free flu shot clinic aims to keep campus healthy

By Lydia Chapman

Senior Reporter

Trevecca students and the surrounding community will have the chance to roll up their sleeves and protect themselves this fall. 

The university’s Department of Nursing will host a free flu shot clinic on Tuesday, Oct. 28, beginning at 8 a.m. in Trevecca Towers 1 before moving to the third floor of Jernigan Student Center during chapel. The clinic will remain open until 3 p.m.

Nursing professor Christy Twinning, who is sponsoring the event, said the idea came from recognizing barriers students faced in getting vaccinated, including cost, transportation, and time.

“We saw a need,” Twinning said. “Our nursing students needed to be vaccinated to go to clinicals, but there were some barriers, such as cost and transportation. We also wanted to bridge healthcare gaps for the greater Trevecca community.”

Twinning said the department hopes to vaccinate about 200 people and that the clinic offers nursing students valuable hands-on experience. Students helped plan and organize every part of the event, from marketing and paperwork to administering shots and monitoring for side effects.

“This is a great opportunity for our students to demonstrate leadership through service,” she said. “They’re taking what they’ve learned and using their gifts to serve their community.”

For students, getting vaccinated means more than avoiding a few sick days. Twinning noted that the flu can cause fever, aches, and fatigue lasting up to a week, which can mean missing classes, work, and campus activities.

“If a high percentage of our campus gets the vaccine, we can achieve herd immunity,” she said. “That protects our most susceptible members, those with lower immunity or who can’t receive the vaccine due to allergies.”

Campus clinician Charly Taylor said living in close quarters makes college students especially vulnerable to respiratory viruses like the flu.

“The flu shot helps your body create immunity and respond efficiently and effectively,” Taylor said. “When you live in such close proximity, it’s important to give your body a little heads-up of what’s coming.”

Taylor addressed a common misconception that the flu shot can cause the flu.

“That’s not true,” she said. “You might feel a little fatigued or have a slight fever afterward, but that just means your body is responding and building antibodies, it’s doing exactly what it’s supposed to do.”

She recommends students get vaccinated before Halloween to allow time for immunity to build before flu season peaks in January and February.

“We want your body ready before flu season hits,” Taylor said. “A shot now can help protect you through the spring.”

Students attending the clinic should wear short sleeves to make vaccination easier. The process, from paperwork to post-shot monitoring, takes less than 30 minutes, and no insurance, cash, or card is needed.

For those who are unable to attend, the Metro Public Health Department offers flu shots Monday through Friday at its Nashville locations, including Lentz (2500 Charlotte Ave.), Woodbine (225 Oriel Ave.), and East Nashville (1015 East Trinity Lane).

Twinning said she hopes the clinic reminds students that caring for their health is one way to care for others.

“It’s about being a good neighbor,” she said. “Protecting your own health is an act of self-care, but it’s also how we protect the most vulnerable in our community.”