After the H1N1 virus hit St. Edward’s University hard last fall, the Health and Counseling Center has received a shipment of H1N1 vaccines.

The shipment of vaccines came during the week of Jan. 11 when classes started for the spring semester, according to Katie Brosnan, a registered nurse at the Health and Counseling Center. The university received 300 vaccines after initially asking for 500 doses in October.

The university did not receive any H1N1 vaccines last fall. The vaccine’s release was unexpectedly delayed nationwide and began to be distributed on a wide scale in December.

The vaccines were paid for and distributed by the federal government and were then delivered to distributing points in Austin. Some of these distributing points included local hospitals where the vaccines could be stored properly.

However, the Health and Counseling Center is out of seasonal flu vaccines after dispersing 330 vaccines over the course of the fall semester.

The Health and Counseling Center is now strongly encouraging students to take advantage of the replenished vaccine supply available to them, as another wave of H1N1 is expected to hit again.

The H1N1 flu has three waves of contagion, the first two already having passed during the fall semester. The months of January and February are said to be when the third wave will hit, and the third wave is expected to be the worst of the three, according to Willard Pannabecker, director of Health and Counseling Services.

“The best prediction is that we need to be ready for a third wave of the flu,” Pannabecker said.

The Health and Counseling Center also recommends that students get the H1N1 vaccine even if they have already received a vaccination for the seasonal flu. Pannabecker added that, unlike the seasonal flu vaccine, once a student receives an H1N1 vaccine, they will not have to get another one later in life.

Between 25 and 50 vaccines of the 300 in stock have already been given to students, Pannabecker said. The Health and Counseling Center is currently accepting walk-ins to receive the vaccine and will continue to do so until this current supply runs out.

The cost of a vaccine from the Health and Counseling Center is $10 for students, who can either pay with cash, credit card, or Topper Tender. Randall’s is offering the vaccine for $18 and H-E-B charges $15, but Pannabecker stressed the importance of students taking advantage of the lower price at the Health and Counseling Center.

“Any given student doesn’t have a high likelihood of getting the flu,” Pannabecker said. “But if you do have the flu, it can seriously affect your academic progress.”

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