Seasonal Immunizations
OFFICE HOURS: Monday – Thursday: 8:00am to 5:00pm • Friday: 8:00am to 3:00pm
AFTER-HOURS CRISIS SUPPORT & VICTIM ASSISTANCE: 303-615-9911
Seasonal Immunizations
The Health Center at Auraria holds Fall Immunization Clinics for Auraria campus constituents. Any vaccine combination of COVID-19 and Flu are available, and you may receive both at one time. The Fall 2024 Immunization Clinic will be held from October 1- November 20, 2024 on Tuesdays & Wednesdays in the Tivoli Garage Lounge | Tivoli 257 (unless otherwise advertised). The clinic will be open for walk-in appointments from 8:00am-4:30pm, with extended hours on November 12 and 13. Vaccines are only available to members of the Auraria campus community with a valid campus ID and will be provided at no cost to patients. If your schedule does not align with available Immunization Clinic days/times, you can call the Auraria Immunization office at 303-615-9997 to schedule an appointment.
VACCINE AVAILABILITY:
Pfizer COVID-19: Available
Flu Vaccine: Available
Alternate Location Dates Hosted in Plaza Room 111
- Tuesday, October 29th
- Wednesday, October 30th
- Tuesday, November 5th
- Wednesday, November 6th
Common Viral Illnesses
The CDC recommends a yearly influenza vaccine for everyone 6 months and older. The influenza virus changes each year, and each strain can effect people differently. Since the circulating strain of influenza changes from season to season, the yearly influenza vaccine contains four different strains of protection. The strains are chosen based on data collected in the Southern Hemisphere. Winter in the Southern Hemisphere is Summer here in the Northern Hemisphere; thus, the Southern Hemisphere has already had their flu season. This data is then used to best estimate which strains of influenza are most likely to circulate and cause serious illness.
Between 2010 and 2020 the CDC estimates that the flu has resulted in 9 million – 41 million illnesses, 140,000 – 710,000 hospitalizations and 12,000 – 52,000 deaths annually.
Preventing Influenza
- The best way to protect against influenza is to get a yearly influenza vaccine
- For those 65 years and older, ACIP recommends one (1) high-dose influenza vaccine or two (2) standard dose influenza vaccines per season
- Frequently wash your hands with soap and warm water
- Regularly use hand sanitizer
- To properly use hand sanitizer thoroughly cover your hands with product and continually rub your hands together until all product is absorbed/dry.
- Cough/sneeze into the bend of your elbow
- Avoid touching your face, especially your eyes, nose and mouth
- Limit contact with individuals who are showing signs of viral illness
- Clean frequently touched surfaces such as doorknobs and mobile devices
The public health emergency surrounding COVID-19 ended on May 11, 2023, due to the most dangerous phase of the illness passing. COVID virus continues to circulate as an endemic disease. Endemic diseases are disease that exist continually in a population (i.e., Influenza, HIV, Hepatitis, pneumonia).
In the week prior to the end of the public health emergency on May 11, 2023, 6649 people were hospitalized in the U.S. for COVID. There were 409 COVID deaths in that week. Public health officials are gaging how widespread and harmful the virus is through hospitalization and death rates. During the pandemic’s height, the number of weekly deaths reached 26,000 in January 2021. The CDC now also reports COVID deaths in relation to all other causes of death in the U.S. In the week prior to the end of the public health emergency COVID deaths made up 1.2% of all U.S. deaths.
Protection against endemic disease is important to prevent against serious illness, being hospitalized, and dying. Vaccination remains the safest strategy for avoiding hospitalizations, long-term health outcomes, and death.
Much like the yearly influenza vaccine, the CDC collects data on circulating strains of the virus in a population and determines which are causing serious illness. This strain is then formulated into a vaccine to best protect against serious illness, hospitalization or death. The strain of coronavirus that is currently circulating and causing illness is named XBB. The 2023 COVID vaccine prevents against this strain.
Preventing COVID
- The best way to prevent COVID is to get a yearly COVID vaccine
- Frequently wash your hands with soap and warm water
- Regularly use hand sanitizer
- To properly use hand sanitizer thoroughly cover your hands with product and continually rub your hands together until all product is absorbed/dry.
- Cough/sneeze into the bend of your elbow
- Avoid touching your face, especially your eyes, nose and mouth
- Limit contact with individuals who are showing signs of viral illness
- Clean frequently touched surfaces such as doorknobs and mobile devices
Common Symptoms of Viral Illnesses
There are many similarities in symptoms of coronavirus, RSV, influenza, the common cold, and allergies making determining the cause of your illness difficult. The most common symptoms of viral illness are:
- Fever*/chills
- Cough
- Sore throat
- Sinus drainage or congestion
- Muscle and body aches
- Headaches
- Fatigue
- Shortness of breath/difficulty breathing
- New loss of taste and smell
- Decreased appetite
- Sneezing
- Wheezing
- Some people may have vomiting or diarrhea, though this is more common in children than adults
*a fever is defined as a body temperature greater than 101.4°, it is important to note that not everyone with a viral illness will develop a fever
PCR viral testing is the best way to rule out viral illness as the cause of symptoms.
Testing
*Beginning September 2024 all U.S. households are eligible to receive four COVID-19 home testing kits at no cost by visiting the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services website.
Scheduling an Appointment
To schedule for immunizations by phone, call Auraria Immunizations at (303) 615-9997.
To schedule for a provider appointment, call the Health Center at Auraria at (303) 615-9999
FAQs
Clinic dates and locations
October 1st Tivoli Garage Lounge, Room 261 (located across from the Tivoli Turnhalle)
October 2nd Tivoli Garage Lounge, Room 261 (located across from the Tivoli Turnhalle)
October 8th Tivoli Garage Lounge, Room 261 (located across from the Tivoli Turnhalle)
October 9th Tivoli Garage Lounge, Room 261 (located across from the Tivoli Turnhalle)
October 15th Tivoli Garage Lounge, Room 261 (located across from the Tivoli Turnhalle)
October 16th Tivoli Garage Lounge, Room 261 (located across from the Tivoli Turnhalle)
October 29th Plaza Building Room 111
October 30th Plaza Building Room 111
November 5th Plaza Building Room 111
November 6th Plaza Building Room 111
November 12th Tivoli Garage Lounge, Room 261 (located across from the Tivoli Turnhalle)- Hours extended to 5:30pm
November 13th Tivoli Garage Lounge, Room 261 (located across from the Tivoli Turnhalle)- Hours extended to 5:30pm
November 19th Tivoli Garage Lounge, Room 261 (located across from the Tivoli Turnhalle)
November 20th Tivoli Garage Lounge, Room 261 (located across from the Tivoli Turnhalle)
The Health Center at Auraria offers Pfizer COVID vaccine and Influenza vaccine.
All current Auraria Campus students, staff and faculty are eligible to receive a vaccine on campus.
NOTE: Due to the end of The Public Health Emergency on May 11, 2023, The Health Center at Auraria will not be offering seasonal vaccines to household or family members.
Influenza, high dose influenza and COVID vaccines are offered by The Health Center at no cost.
The Health Center at Auraria uploads all administered vaccines to the state’s immunization database (CIIS). You can access your CIIS record by visiting: https://ciis.state.co.us/public/Application/PublicPortal
If you do not wish for your vaccine administration data to be included in CIIS, please inform Health Center staff. You may also request a copy of your vaccine administration form at the time of your appointment or by contacting the immunization department at (303)615-9997.
YES! Vaccines are very safe. The United States’ long-standing vaccine safety system ensures that vaccines are as safe as possible. Currently, the United States has the safest vaccine supply in its history. Millions of people safely receive vaccines each year. The most common side effects are very mild including soreness, redness, and swelling where the shot is given, mild fever, muscle aches, headaches, and fatigue.
People sometimes faint after medical procedures, including vaccination. Tell your provider if you have a history of fainting with medical procedures, feel dizzy, have vision changes or ringing in the ears.
As with any medicine, there is a very remote (~ 1 in 1 million) chance of a vaccine causing a severe allergic reaction, other serious injury, or death.
- Those with a history of Guillain-Barre syndrome should not receive an influenza vaccine
- Those, especially men younger than 40 years old, with a history of myocarditis or pericarditis should take precautions prior to receiving COVID vaccine. These individuals should contact their healthcare provider to discuss risks and benefits of vaccination against COVID.
- Those experiencing moderate to severe illness including fever should delay vaccination until they are feeling well. Mild illness without fever does not exclude a person from vaccination.
- Those with a history of allergic reaction to a vaccine should not receive that specific vaccine again. They may receive other vaccinations but will be asked to wait 30 minutes post vaccine administration for observation.
Yes! You may have heard that people with egg allergies cannot receive a flu vaccine. That used to be true, but the CDC has changed its recommendation. The CDC now says that it’s safe for people with an allergy to eggs to receive any flu vaccine that’s appropriate for their age and health conditions. In addition, the brand of influenza vaccine carried by The Health Center at Auraria is not made with egg material.
Yes! Prior vaccination for COVID or influenza is not required.
The FDA, ACIP, and CDC no longer recommend past versions of the COVID vaccine including primary series and bivalent vaccine (2022). As with the influenza vaccine, each year a new version of the vaccine is formulated for current strains circulating in the population.
It is advised that those with laboratory confirmed COVID, influenza or RSV infection receive vaccines regardless of recent infection. While people can get some protection from having COVID, the level and length of that protection varies, especially as COVID variants continue to emerge.
- Immunity (protection) from infection can vary depending on how mild or severe someone’s illness was and their age.
- Immunity from infection decreases over time.
- Importantly, there is no antibody test available that can reliably determine if a person is protected from further infection.
- Vaccination can prevent you from contracting an illness and can make your illness milder if you do contract it.
- It takes approximately two (2) weeks after vaccination for your body to develop antibodies and provide protection against the virus.
Prior to this two-week period, you can still contract viral illness as your body has not made the antibodies to fight it off. Therefore, it is recommended to receive your seasonal vaccinations as soon as possible.
Yes! Getting multiple vaccines at the same time has been shown to be safe. Vaccines work just as well and are just as safe if you get them alone or with other vaccines.
If you get side effects, they are generally the same whether you get one vaccine or more than one. So, it is not expected to cause worse reactions. Years of experience giving multiple vaccines in one visit show you do not get double the reaction because you got two vaccines instead of one. Immune systems can respond to many millions of antigens and germs at the same time. This means you can easily build immunity and get protection from multiple vaccines at the same time.
It is advised that patients receiving more than one vaccine in a visit receive one vaccine in each arm to distinguish between vaccines in case of a local site reaction. If you would like both injection in the same arm, that is also acceptable, and the vaccines will be administered at least one (1) inch apart from each other.
Patients will be asked to spend 15 minutes in an observed waiting area after vaccination in case of syncope (fainting) or other adverse events.
Other Resources
Mental Health Assistance: If you are experience undue stress, anxiety or sense any type of discrimination to your presence on campus, but do not have any symptoms associated with viral illness, we encourage you to call The Health Center at Auraria to talk to a medical or mental health provider. Call (303)615-9999 and indicate that you would like to schedule a coronavirus consult.
*All students, faculty, and staff on the Auraria campus have free access to the 24/7 Mental Health Crisis & Victim Assistance hotline: 303-615-9911. This line is for acute mental health concerns and victim assistance.
Telehealth Services: Medical and Mental Health providers at The Health Center at Auraria offer telehealth services to patients when appropriate. Due to professional licensing regulations that restrict providing care across state lines there may be limitations on telehealth services if you are not in Colorado at the time of your appointment. Please contact The Health Center at Auraria at (303) 615-9999 to discuss treatment and/or referral options.
References/Resources
For questions or concerns regarding vaccination speak with your healthcare provider or call The Health Center at Auraria Immunization Department at (303)615-9997.
