{"371501":{"#nid":"371501","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Flu Season Continues; Shots Offered at Stamps","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp class=\u0022p1\u0022\u003EFlu season typically peaks in February and, though this year\u2019s vaccine has doubters, medical professionals still advise that everyone receive a flu shot.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\u0022p5\u0022\u003EWorld flu experts meet in February of each year to formulate a vaccine for the next flu season. This year, after the vaccine was already manufactured and distributed, a strain evolved that is causing the vaccine to be less effective.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\u0022p5\u0022\u003EHealth industry leaders are in talks on how to improve the vaccine, looking at its creation, production, and distribution. Georgia Tech was cited in a Jan. 22 Bloomberg News article for its efforts in developing microneedle patches that would make distributing and dispensing the vaccine more efficient by eliminating the need to handle a refrigerated liquid vaccine.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\u0022p5\u0022\u003EIn the meantime, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) advises that the vaccine can keep you from getting the flu, protect others around you who are more vulnerable, and make your illness milder if you do get sick.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\u0022p5\u0022\u003EIn past seasons, the flu vaccine was cited as having a 71 percent reduction in flu-related hospitalizations among adults of all ages. Particularly for pregnant women and older adults, the flu vaccine can mitigate illness and reduce the chance of hospitalizations.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\u0022p5\u0022\u003EAs of late December, the CDC reported that about half of the U.S. was experiencing high flu activity. Stamps Health Services still has doses of the vaccine, which it offers for $25 to faculty and staff. Employees can make an appointment to get the vaccine or receive it during any regularly scheduled appointment at the health center. Students who have paid their health fee can receive shots for free.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\u0022p5\u0022\u003ETo learn more or make an appointment, visit \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/health.gatech.edu\u0022\u003Ehealth.gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp class=\u0022p1\u0022\u003EFlu season typically peaks in February and, though this year\u2019s vaccine has doubters, medical professionals still advise that everyone receive a flu shot.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Flu season typically peaks in February and, though this year\u2019s vaccine has doubters, medical professionals still advise that everyone receive a flu shot."}],"uid":"27469","created_gmt":"2015-02-02 16:59:49","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:01:50","author":"Kristen Bailey","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2015-02-02T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2015-02-02T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"241451":{"id":"241451","type":"image","title":"Flu Shot","body":null,"created":"1449243688","gmt_created":"2015-12-04 15:41:28","changed":"1475894916","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:48:36","alt":"Flu Shot","file":{"fid":"197797","name":"flu_shot.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/flu_shot_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/flu_shot_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":2081688,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/flu_shot_0.jpg?itok=SZr9OC-E"}}},"media_ids":["241451"],"related_links":[{"url":"http:\/\/health.gatech.edu\/","title":"Stamps Health Services"}],"groups":[{"id":"1259","name":"Whistle"}],"categories":[{"id":"129","name":"Institute and Campus"}],"keywords":[{"id":"5302","name":"Disease"},{"id":"296","name":"Flu"},{"id":"398","name":"health"},{"id":"167128","name":"Stamps Health Services"},{"id":"4076","name":"wellness"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71871","name":"Campus and Community"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:kristen.bailey@comm.gatech.edu\u0022\u003EKristen Bailey\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EInstitute Communications\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}}}