For the first time at Washburn University, flu shots were given to students and benefit-eligible faculty and staff for free. Washburn Student Health did a lot of preparation for this after Luther Lee, vice president of administration and treasurer, was able to find funding for this opportunity.

To prepare for the flu shot drive, Washburn Student Health pre-ordered artifacts in January so they could be here in August. They also purchased syringes, needles, cotton balls, band-aids, gloves, alcohol wipes, sharps containers and trash bags.

According to Tiffany McManis, director of Washburn Student Health Services, each dose of the vaccine has been put into the Kansas WebIZ program because every single vaccination is tracked. Before someone can get the vaccine on campus, they must fill out the consent form and submit it to Washburn Student Health, which is put into WebIZ of where the vaccine is.

During this entire process, Washburn Student Health partnered with the School of Nursing and Washburn Tech’s Licensed Practical Nursing students. This was an opportunity for nursing students to get real-world experience.

“It just really helps build your skill and your confidence, you know, so you don’t shake your hands while trying to give someone a shot,” McManis said.

Samantha Standefer, a student at the School of Nursing, loved being involved in the flu shot drive and felt it was a valuable experience. According to Standefer, anything she can do to prepare herself prior to joining the field is a fantastic opportunity to make yourself less nervous and improve your skills overall.

“The more patients that I was able to give a shot to made it easier for me. I was more comfortable in what I was doing, and the more feedback that I got from patients telling me that it did not hurt at all made it a lot easier for me,” Standefer said.

Standefer volunteered to be a part of the drive and was one of the many students to give over 100 students a flu shot that week.

Even though the flu shot drive is over, students and benefit-eligible faculty and staff are still able to receive flu shots on campus for free. Washburn Student Health is still providing the service to them in their office by appointment.

Edited by: Alijah McCracken, Simran Shrestha