Students provided almost 7,000 flu shots in 2019
The entire community was kept healthier by Lipscomb's health science students this flu season.
College of Pharmacy & Health Sciences Student Report |
This year’s flu season is proving to be particularly severe, but Lipscomb’s health science students did their part to protect the population from the virus by giving more than 6,800 flu shots in Nashville.
College of Pharmacy students started off the vaccination season in a big way by participating in the annual Flulapalooza event at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in the fall. All faculty, staff and volunteers that work at Vanderbilt are encouraged to get their flu shot at Flulapalooza.
This year 15,765 vaccines were administered in total and 5,957 of those vaccines were administered by 55 Lipscomb student pharmacists who volunteered their time. Lipscomb’s student pharmacists have participated in Flulapalooza for the past seven years.
Finding time to go to a doctor’s office or pharmacy to get a flu shot can be difficult for patients, so Lipscomb student pharmacists decided to bring the vaccines to the patients through Bison Flu Fest, held in Bison Square on Lipscomb’s campus in October.
Student pharmacists and student physician assistants helped vaccinate 271 Lipscomb faculty, staff and students at Bison Flu Fest and also provided flu shots to students, family and alumni during Homecoming weekend. Vaccines were administered free of charge with the patient’s insurance information.
In addition to those large events Lipscomb health science students also provided vaccines at Nashville pharmacies, local businesses, schools and even the Nissan plant in Smyrna, Tennessee
“We plan to continue these events annually to help bring access to flu vaccines and raise awareness on the importance of getting your flu shot in a timely manner,” said Shahristan Rashid, the immunization chair for the Lipscomb Academy of Student Pharmacists (APhA-ASP). “Vaccinating yourself not only helps protect you, but everyone else around you as well.”