The university will be distributing flu vaccines to community members starting on Oct. 4 in the Hassenfeld Conference Center, according to an email sent to the student body by Morgen Bergman, Assistant Provost of Strategic Initiatives. The clinic will be open to the Brandeis community as well as the general public, according to the email.

The flu vaccine clinic will be held on Oct. 4, 5 and 6 for all individuals in the Waltham area, according to the email. There will be an additional two days of the vaccine clinic on Oct. 7 and 8 which will be designated for vaccinating students only. Students getting vaccinated on Oct. 7 and 8 will report to the Health Center to receive their vaccine, according to the vaccine appointment page. 

“Our flu shot clinic this year is open to everyone—not only faculty, staff, and students, but also their families, friends, and the general Waltham community,” wrote Bergman. 

Last year, the flu shot clinic was available to students, faculty and staff on campus but not to the greater Waltham community due to visitor restrictions on campus, according to an email sent by Dan Kim in September 2020. In her email, Bergman encouraged community members to share the link to the university’s flu shot clinic with family and friends in the Waltham area.  

Visitors coming to campus to receive their flu shot were reminded to look through the university’s visitor policy, according to the university’s Flu Shot Clinic page. Those eligible to get the vaccine must be three years of age or older. Individuals who are receiving the vaccine who are over 65 years old will receive a high dose or an adjuvanted vaccine, according to the page.  

Students can make their flu shot appointment via the university’s COVID-19 Passport Portal, according to a link in the portal. Students can also sign up for their appointment using a secure patient portal provided by the university through Medicatconnect, according to the email.  

After making the appointment, individuals should receive a confirmation email with a link to a consent form for the vaccine, according to Bergman. This form must be filled out, printed and brought with the individual to the clinic when they are scheduled to receive their flu vaccine. The pharmacist will then review the consent form. All individuals receiving the flu vaccine must be masked, according to the university’s page. 

When going to get vaccinated, individuals should also bring their insurance card with them, according to the clinic page. The flu vaccine is free under most insurance plans, however, individuals may also pay out of pocket at a discounted rate offered by the university, which is $47 for a regular dose and $80 for the high dose offered to those ages 65 or older, according to the page.

In addition to bringing their insurance card, community members are also asked to have a green or yellow campus passport and visitors should have a confirmation email from passing their Visitor Daily Health Assessment, according to the page. The university also recommends that individuals receiving the vaccine wear a top with sleeves that provide easy access to the upper arm where the shot will be administered.  

The university held a flu shot clinic last academic year as well, according to a previous Brandeis Hoot article. Last fall, it became mandatory for all students in the state of Massachusetts to receive the influenza vaccine after a press release from the Massachusetts Department of Public Health, according to the press release on Aug. 19, 2020. All students enrolled in child care, pre-school, K-12 and post-secondary institutions are required to receive the influenza vaccine in Massachusetts.

All individuals receiving the flu vaccine at the clinic will receive an “I vaccinated at Brandeis” sticker, according to Bergman’s email.