Free flu shots will be available to faculty, staff and students beginning Monday, Oct. 3.
On Main Campus, influenza vaccines will be offered from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday at the University Health Center.
On Health Science Campus, vaccines will be available at the outpatient pharmacy in The University of Toledo Medical Center Medical Pavilion beginning Tuesday, Oct. 4. The pharmacy will have vaccines available throughout October and November on Tuesdays from 7 a.m. to 1 p.m., on Wednesdays from 8 a.m. to noon, on Thursdays from 2 to 6 p.m., and on Fridays from 8 a.m. to noon.
A number of pop-up flu shot clinics also will be held in October on both campuses, beginning with one from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m., Monday, Oct. 3, in the Collier Building on Health Science Campus. Additional flu clinics include:
• Oct. 12 — 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., Stranahan Hall on Main Campus
• Oct. 13 — 8 a.m. to noon, Collier Building on Health Science Campus
• Oct. 14 — 8 a.m. to noon, Collier Building on Health Science Campus
• Oct. 17 — 8 a.m. to noon, Collier Building on Health Science Campus
• Oct. 18 — 8 a.m. to noon, Collier Building on Health Science Campus
• Oct. 19 — 8 a.m. to 3 p.m., Savage Arena on Main Campus
• Oct. 20 — 8 a.m. to noon, Health Education Building on Health Science Campus
• Oct. 21 — 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., Health Education Building on Health Science Campus
• Oct. 26 — 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., Health and Human Services Building on Main Campus
• Oct. 27 — 8 a.m. to noon, Health Education Building on Health Science Campus
• Nov. 2 — 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., Wolfe Hall on Main Campus
Appointments are not required, but individuals do need to complete a consent form, available at influenza.utoledo.edu, prior to getting their shot. Individuals can complete their consent form beginning Sunday, Oct. 1.
Dr. Joel Kammeyer, an infectious disease specialist at UToledo and president of the Infectious Diseases Society of Ohio, said it’s important for everyone to get vaccinated against influenza, regardless of their age or overall health.
“Influenza is different from other seasonal viruses because it can be severe and lead to death,” he said. “Young children, older adults and immunocompromised individuals are at the highest risk, but we will see patients in their 20s and 30s who are otherwise healthy with very severe cases. Vaccination reduces both the incidence of influenza and the illness’s severity in people who do get influenza.”
UToledo requires the influenza vaccine for all on-campus students and employees who are not represented by a bargaining unit, as well as all healthcare workers at UTMC and University clinics.
Students who are taking 100% of their courses online and employees who are working 100% remotely and do not come to campus are exempt from the influenza vaccine requirement. The University also may grant exemptions on a case-by-case basis for documented medical contraindications or sincerely held religious beliefs.
Students and employees who complete a consent form and get vaccinated through the University will have their proof of vaccination uploaded automatically. Those who have received flu shots elsewhere need to upload proof of vaccination at utvaccinereg.utoledo.edu. Proof of vaccination is due by Dec. 1.
While the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported a lower-than-average number of cases over the last two flu seasons, Kammeyer said that was heavily influenced by COVID-19 precautions.
“With the reality being that people are likely to be masking less this winter, we have every reason to anticipate influenza cases will increase,” he said. “The more people are vaccinated, the less influenza we’ll see in the community, the fewer days we’ll have of missed work, the fewer days we’ll have of missed school, and we’ll have fewer deaths.”
Kammeyer also is encouraging individuals to get the recently authorized bivalent COVID-19 booster once eligible.
The CDC recommends the booster, which is designed to target both the original version of the virus and the now-dominant BA.4 and BA.5 variants, in everyone age 12 and up who has completed their primary vaccine course and not received a previous booster dose within the last two months.
The bivalent COVID-19 booster is available at both the UToledo Main Campus Pharmacy and the UTMC outpatient pharmacy in the UTMC Medical Pavilion.
Individuals can schedule a COVID-19 vaccine appointment via the Ohio Department of Health’s vaccine scheduling portal. For more information, call the Main Campus pharmacy at 419.530.3471 or the UTMC outpatient pharmacy at 419.383.3750.
UToledo requires all students and employees to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 or have an approved exemption. While booster doses are strongly encouraged for all eligible faculty, staff and students, they are not currently included as part of the University’s vaccine requirement.
