Seasonal flu vaccine available Nov. 23 and 24 to students, employees

Student Health Services will distribute the seasonal flu nasal-mist vaccine to Bucknell students and employees and their spouses, partners and children 16 or older on Monday and Tuesday, Nov. 23-24, from 1:30 to 4 p.m. The vaccine is available as a nasal mist only. The cost is $20, which can be paid with BUID, cash or check.

Please note:

• The nasal mist method of vaccination is as effective as any method of delivery but is unsafe for individuals who have health conditions that may cause difficulty breathing, such as asthma, or muscle or nerve disorders, and is also considered unsafe for pregnant women. Anyone over the age of 49 is not eligible to receive the mist form. More information on who may safely receive the nasal spray vaccine is available from the CDC at www.cdc.gov/vaccines/pubs/vis/downloads/vis-flulive.pdf. 
• If you have received a flu-mist vaccine (including for H1N1) in the past 28 days, you are not eligible to receive this vaccine in the mist form since having two flu-mist vaccines within that time frame is not considered safe.

The seasonal flu and H1N1, or swine flu, are different viruses. It is possible to contract both viruses, and there are separate vaccinations to protect against each type.

Please continue to take the necessary precautions to help prevent the spread of flu. More information is available at www.bucknell.edu/swineflu.