Nursing students offer immunity
By Racella De Guia
Staff Writer
racelladeguia@gmail.com
Racella De Guia/The Runner
Letty Cantorna was one of 130 nursing students who volunteered for the event.
Traffic hit Parking lot E off Camino Media on Friday, October 30, 2009 as individuals waited several hours in their vehicles to attain their free seasonal flu shots.
The free seasonal flu vaccinations were opened to the community and were given by a drive through clinic. The seasonal flu shot procedure started at 10 a.m. and ended at 4 p.m.
Bakersfield local Ana Maria Cardenas arrived at the California State University, Bakersfield Campus to get her free flu shot. Little did she know that the free seasonal flu shots were given through a drive through-clinic.
Racella de Guia/ The Runner
Students and community members wait for their turn to be immunized at the RNEC building or by a drive-thru.
Cardenas said, “Fortunately, a lady came up to me and informed me that the flu shots were given through a drive-through. She was kind enough to offer me a ride in her car with her daughter.”
Student nurses gave away free seasonal flu vaccinations to CSUB students only at the Nursing Building on campus.
Sophomore Alberto Panchi was not aware that student nurses were responsible for giving the free seasonal flu shots.
Panchi said, “I didn’t know it was student nurses, but they seemed trustworthy. It would be better for nurses to learn and have experience.”
These “seasonal” influenza vaccines are put together to deter the annual flu. The drive-through clinic specifically stated that the seasonal flu shot does not protect against the pandemic H1N1 virus.
Seasonal flu shot vaccinations are restructured every year, and a yearly vaccination is suggested.
The seasonal flu virus is an infectious disease. The influenza can be spread through coughing, sneezing or nasal discharge.
According to seasonal flu shot information Web sites, an average of 226,000 people are hospitalized every year because of influenza and 36,000 die - mostly the elderly.
The seasonal flu vaccine can definitely prevent influenza. Annually, scientists attempt to correlate the viruses in the vaccine to those most likely to cause flu that year.
The vaccine protects most people from serious influenza related illness. However, even when there is not a close match, the vaccine supplies some protection.
The seasonal flu shot takes up to two weeks for the protection to develop after the shot. Protection lasts up to a year.
A vaccine, like any medicine, could possibly cause serious problems, such as severe allergic reactions.
The risk of a vaccine causing serious harm or death is extremely small. Serious problems from the influenza vaccine are very rare.
Mild problems include soreness, redness, or swelling where the injection was given and sore, red or itchy eyes. These problems usually begin soon after the shot and last one to two days.
Life-threatening allergic reactions from vaccines are very rare. If they do occur, it is usually within a few minutes to a few hours after the shot.
Any unusual conditions may include a high fever or behavior changes.
Signs of a severe allergic reaction can comprise of difficult breathing, hoarseness, wheezing, hives, paleness, weakness, a fast heartbeat or dizziness.
If any of these symptoms occur the informational Web sites advise to call a doctor right away and inform the doctor about what happened, the date and time it happened and when the vaccination was given.