Students have the opportunity to receive flu shots on campus so they don’t get sick as a Dawg. Graphic by Anna Gritzenbach.
GRACE CRONIN | STAFF REPORTER | gcronin@butler.edu
As the flu season begins, Butler University Health Services is once again partnering with Employer Wellness Solutions Indiana (EWS) to offer flu shots to students, faculty and staff. Following a particularly severe flu season last year, there is greater emphasis on prevention and access to vaccines.
The partnership has been in place for more than 10 years, allowing Health Services to keep its clinic open for students who are already sick while still providing vaccinations across campus.
The push to vaccinate against the flu is even more important this season due to last year’s severity. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the 2024-25 flu season was classified as a high-severity season, the first since the 2017-18 season. The CDC projects that the upcoming season will be classified as moderate; however, past seasons have shown a large variance in classification.
Maxie Gardner, a registered nurse and Director of Butler Health Services, explained the importance of this flu clinic and its positive impact on campus.
“The Butler community is well over five to six thousand people,” said Gardner. “In order for us to [administer the flu vaccine], we would have to shut down our clinic, and that does not make sense. [EWS] has done an outstanding job, and they hire outstanding registered nurses.”
Influenza (flu) is a virus that causes an infection in the nose, throat and lungs. In some cases, the flu can be a serious condition and cause complications. The annual flu vaccine is the most effective way to prevent the illness and reduce flu-related hospitalizations.
“The flu is no fun, even in otherwise healthy individuals,” Gardner said. “You have body aches, high fever and you just don’t feel well. The flu vaccine is the number one way to prevent one from getting the flu virus.”
Gardner hopes that the past severity of the flu season will push the community to understand the importance of getting vaccinated.
“We are trying everything in our power to educate individuals about the flu, and we’ve really tried to do a really good job of offering the clinic during really good time periods for individuals to get vaccinated,” Gardner said.
Students like Amanda Darwish, a junior public health major, agreed with Gardner on the importance of flu vaccines.
“Flu shots are important and people should get them,” Darwish said. “It’s so easy to get sick; it’s better to have a vaccine and be ahead of the sickness.”
Junior P1 major Sierra Milam sees vaccination as both a personal and community responsibility.
“Getting the flu shot is important to help our community stay healthy,” Milam said. “Students can do their part in preventing themselves and others from getting sick.”
On top of the flu vaccine partnership, Butler Health Services is prepared to treat students who catch the flu. The clinic provides rapid testing for flu, COVID-19 and other respiratory illnesses, as well as treatment options like Tamiflu. Students can also call to speak with a nurse free of charge if they are unsure how to manage symptoms.
