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Flu Vaccine Events

The University of Tennessee, Knoxville is offering flu vaccine clinics to support students in meeting vaccination requirements.

A reservation system and physical distancing practices will be utilized to align with University-wide policies during the flu vaccine clinics.

Dates of Flu Vaccine Clinics:

Please only register for ONE timeslot.

CDC recommends a yearly flu vaccine as the first and most important step in protecting against flu viruses. Getting a flu vaccine during 2020-2021 will be more important than ever.

Flu vaccines will not prevent COVID-19, but they will reduce the burden of flu illnesses, hospitalizations, and deaths on the health care system and conserve scarce medical resources for the care of people with COVID-19. Visit CDC’s website for more information about flu vaccine benefits.

Preventing the Flu & What You Should Know About Influenza (Flu) Antiviral Drugs

Information from the CDC website.

CDC recommends three actions to prevent flu.

  1. Get a flu vaccine,
  2. Practice everyday preventive actions, and
  3. Take antiviral medication to treat flu if your doctor prescribes them.

This season, follow these prevention actions, along with additional recommendations to prevent COVID-19.

Can flu illness be treated?
Yes. There are prescription medications called “antiviral drugs” that can be used to treat flu illness.

What are antiviral drugs?
Influenza antiviral drugs are prescription medicines (pills, liquid, or an inhaled powder) that fight against flu in your body. Antiviral drugs are not sold over the counter. You can only get them if you have a prescription from a health care provider. Antiviral drugs are different from antibiotics, which fight against bacterial infections.

What should I do if I think I have the flu?
If you get sick with the flu, antiviral drugs are a treatment option. Check with your health care provider promptly if you are at high risk of serious flu complications and you get flu symptoms. Flu symptoms can include fever, cough, sore throat, runny or stuffy nose, body aches, headache, chills, and fatigue. Your doctor may prescribe antiviral drugs to treat your flu illness.

Should I still get a flu vaccine?
Yes. Antiviral drugs are not a substitute for getting a flu vaccine. While flu vaccine can vary in how well it works, a flu vaccine is the first and best way to prevent influenza. Everyone aged 6 months and older should receive flu vaccine every year. Antiviral drugs are a second line of defense to treat the flu if you get sick.

What are the benefits of antiviral drugs?
Antiviral treatment works best when started within two days of getting symptoms. Antiviral drugs can lessen fever and other symptoms and shorten the time you are sick by about one day. They also can prevent serious flu complications, like pneumonia.

For people at high risk of serious flu complications, treatment with an antiviral drug can mean the difference between having a milder illness versus a very serious illness that could result in a hospital stay. For adults hospitalized with flu illness, some studies have reported that early antiviral treatment can reduce the risk of death.

What antiviral drugs are recommended this flu season?
There are four FDA-approved antiviral drugs recommended by CDC this season: oseltamivir phosphate (available as a generic version or under the trade name Tamiflu®), zanamivir (trade name Relenza®), peramivir (trade name Rapivab®), and baloxavir marboxil (trade name Xofluza®).

Oseltamivir is available as a pill or liquid and zanamivir is a powder that is inhaled. (Zanamivir is not recommended for people with breathing problems like asthma or COPD). Oseltamivir and zanamivir are given twice a day for 5 days. Peramivir is given once intravenously by a health care provider, and baloxavir is a pill given as a single dose by mouth. These antiviral drugs are given in different ways and are approved for different ages.

What are the possible side effects of antiviral drugs?
Side effects vary for each medication. For example, the most common side effects of oseltamivir are nausea and vomiting, zanamivir can cause bronchospasm, and peramivir can cause diarrhea.

Other less common side effects also have been reported. Your health care provider can give you more information about these drugs and you can check the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) website for specific information about antiviral drugs, including the manufacturer’s package insert.