Nelson and McDonald residence halls have tied to win this year’s flu shot competition sponsored by the ACU Medical Clinic.
The clinic challenged all freshman and sophomore dorms to compete and offered a prize for the dorm with the highest percentage of residents vaccinated for the flu. The winning dorm received $500 in prize money for the celebration of their choice.
Dr. Ellen Little director of the ACU Medical Clinic considers the competition a success and plans to host it again next year.
“It is a good way to get people motivated,” Little said.
McDonald dorm won last year’s competition as well. Although McDonald is the smallest women’s residence hall on campus, it managed to have a high percentage of residents get the shot both years. This year the dorm reached a total of 38 percent of residents vaccinated to tie Nelson for the win.
Lindsey Adams, freshman Youth and Family Ministry major from Mesquite and resident of Nelson Hall, said she got the shot and is excited about the party.
“Almost everyone on our hall got the shot, and I don’t know of anyone who actually got the flu,” Adams said.
Little said many students have received the flu shot so far this year, and more students continue to come in for the shot each day.
“Last year we had far more people than average receive the shot, and this year our numbers stayed high,” Little said. “About 1,200 received the shot last year and around 1,000 have come in for the shot this year.”
There are many benefits for promoting flu vaccinations among the student body, Little said.
“It keeps students in school and healthy, it keeps an epidemic from spreading on campus, and it prevents hospitalization and severe complications in severe cases,” Little said.
Julie Danley, R.N. at the ACU Medical Clinic, said the vaccination will prevent three of the most common strains of the flu virus, including the swine flu. There have not been a significant number of swine flu cases yet this year on the ACU campus, Danley said. But getting the shot is still recommended. It will protect recipients for a full year.
The shots are available in the clinic, located on the ground floor of McKinzie Hall. For more information on the flu shot contact the Medical Clinic at 674-2625.
