Spartan Newsroom (https://news.jrn.msu.edu/tag/vaccine/)
After previously stating that the COVID-19 vaccine and masks would not be required this fall, Michigan State University has decided to take a different course of action. With the university now requiring the vaccine and masks to attend classes in the fall, students have had a mixed response to the news.Â
The Michigan State Pavilion for Agriculture and Livestock Education has had a drive-through vaccination clinic for a few months now, but the university created a student-only site. Students can now receive the single dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine at the MSU Pavilion. Students can sign up for an appointment on the Ingham County Health Department website. Appointments are regularly added. MSU Deputy Spokesperson Dan Olsen said appointments are booked all through next week.
Flu season is nearing its end, but was it ever really here? Sparrow Doctor Paul Entler noticed that this year’s flu season has been significantly less aggressive. “We had one case in the hospital,” he said. “Being vigilant about washing your hands and those masks, I think really prevented portals of entry of viruses that normally would be there.” Safety protocols that have been enforced over the last year have been productive in fighting against the flu and other illness, not just COVID-19.
The state of Michigan saw an increase in cases of dog flu this year. More than 160 cases were reported in the state. Dr. Stephen Carey, a professor in small animal clinical sciences in the college of veterinary medicine at Michigan State University, said compared to last year, this year’s increase was fairly strong. “In climates like Michigan, where we have really harsh winters, that tends to be more frequent over the summer,” Dr. Carey said. According to the Ingham County Animal Control and Shelter, the flu infection started out in southeast Michigan in the Detroit area.
By BECKY McKENDRY
Capital News Service
LANSING – As flu season looms, public health officials are trying to figure out how to combat Michigan’s low vaccination rates – among the nation’s worst. Recommended vaccinations vary widely depending on age and health condition. But statistics show that even the most commonly recommended vaccinations – such as influenza and Tdap, which protects against diseases like tuberculosis and pertussis – are not administered enough. For example, last year, 41.8 percent of Americans over the age of 6 months received a flu shot, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Michigan ranked 41st, with only 38.8 percent of residents receiving a flu shot.