The Wellness Center and nursing students teamed together Thursday afternoon in the pursuit of giving 290 flu shots to faculty, staff and students at the Memorial Student Center plaza. 

Marshall held its annual flu shot clinic outside of the student center Thursday, Oct. 27, to make the flu shot more accessible to students so that they don’t miss class because they are sick. 

The Wellness Center and nursing students were given 290 shots from the Cabell County Health Department. Kaye Godbey, the coordinator for wellness programs, said they administered 283 shots over the course of five hours. 

If it took too long or they couldn’t reach their goal, she said the rest of the shots would go to the student center where the COVID-19 shots are given, and any student or faculty member that couldn’t make it that day could go there.

As the weather gets colder, people are more susceptible to getting sick. Godbey says it can really affect students that choose not to get the flu shot.

“If you think about the cost to a student for getting sick,” Godbey said, “if any student were to get the flu, that could put them out for a week, which means that they could lose as many as three classes, lose sleep and lose all kinds of productive time which could set them back from their success.”

The Wellness Center is holding a Health and Wellness Fair in the Don Morris Room on Thursday, Nov. 10, from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. where they will be administering flu shots, but they aren’t free. To attend this event, you must contact the Human Resources department. 

With a long line of students and faculty that stretched to the memorial fountain waiting to get a flu shot, Godbey was sure that they would reach their goal of preparing the campus for the long winter ahead.