Health science students hold largest flu clinic yet on campus
Nation’s top immunizers put their skills to work to protect campus community during unprecedented flu season
Janel Shoun-Smith | 615.966.7078 |
The College of Pharmacy’s Academy of Student Pharmacists (ASP) chapter provided more than 1,000 flu vaccinations for faculty, students and staff in September during Bison Flu Fest, a three-day clinic in Allen Arena designed to immunize as many people on the Lipscomb campus as possible before the 2020 flu season hits in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The student pharmacists involved in ASP have given thousands of flu vaccinations on the Lipscomb campus and throughout Middle Tennessee for the past decade. In fact, the group was the national first place winner for the American Pharmacists Association’s Operation Immunization campaign in 2018-19. Giving more than 7,100 flu shots in that year, Lipscomb beat out 119 chapters across the nation for the honor.
Recognizing the health situation in 2020, the university committed to provide free flu vaccinations for every Lipscomb employee and all university students this fall, said Kevin Eidson, Lipscomb’s director of health and wellness. Lipscomb’s Health Services and ASP are continuing to offer additional opportunities to obtain flu vaccinations throughout the semester, vaccinating another 200 people by the end of October, he said.
The university secured 3,600 doses of flu vaccinations for this flu season.
“This event was the biggest undertaking we have ever had enlisting 156 volunteers to help with the clinic,” said Sarah Uroza, associate professor of pharmacy and faculty sponsor for the student group. Health science students and staff from the nursing and physician assistant studies programs helped staff the clinic, which also included a drive-up option on Saturday for employees and students working from home.
In addition to protecting the campus for this flu season, the Bison Flu Fest immunization clinic serves as a trial run for providing a future Covid-19 vaccine to the campus community, she said.
Each year ASP coordinates and participates in numerous flu shot clinics throughout the fall, resulting in thousands of flu shots provided throughout Middle Tennessee.
Prior to 2020, Lipscomb had provided free flu shots for faculty and staff, but the cost of shots for students needed to be covered by their personal insurance. Despite various opportunities to obtain flu shots on campus, less than 350 people took advantage of the on-campus flu shots last year. That compares to more than 1,000 by the end of Bison Flu Fest in September this year.
“At Lipscomb we are strongly committed to playing an active role in our community, and in 2020 that means keeping as many people on our campus healthy as is possible this fall,” said Eidson. “For the good of not just our students, but for the good of the entire Nashville community, Lipscomb has invested in making sure the threat of infection is minimized on our campus.”
The Bison Flu Fest design was based on Vanderbilt University’s Flulapalooza, which annually immunizes 14,000 employees in 12 hours, said Uroza.
Lipscomb’s APhA-ASP students and faculty have participated in Flulapalooza for several years.