With Alabama classified as one of 30 states with high influenza-like illness activity, by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, University of Alabama students may want to consider getting vaccinated if they haven’t already, and the University still has shots available from their fall No Flu Zone campaign.

Sara Kaylor, an instructor at The University of Alabama Capstone College of Nursing, was one of many medical professors who worked to prepare University students, faculty and staff for the 2012-2013 flu season.

She was involved in the UA No Flu Zone campaign, which is a campaign the University Medical Center and the Capstone College of Nursing launched in September 2012. The University purchased 8,000 flu shots for the campaign, which were administered by upperclassmen nursing students and the University Medical Staff.

“As of Dec. 31, 2012 we had given approximately 2,785 vaccinations to faculty and staff and 4,430 to students,” Lisa Kidd, the administrative secretary at the University Medical Center, said.

Kaylor said aside from taking the vaccine, the best way to avoid the flu is by vigorously washing your hands.

“You need the combination of soap, water and friction to have good hand washing,” she said. “Barely applying the soap won’t help.”

Another way to avoid the illness is to refrain from constantly touching your hair, face and eyes.

“This flu travels from contaminated surface areas. The best way that we catch the flu is through our mucus membranes, so if we touch our face and eyes then that is one way that we can transmit it,” Kaylor said.

She also advise people that are sick to stay home, so they won’t give others the virus. For anyone needle-wary, another option is a nasal mist. Kaylor said that mist is typically used for children, but has also worked well in adults and teenagers.

Although the mist is an option, it does present a few problems, Kaylor said.

“It is a little bit more difficult to obtain, because it is so popular. If you have the choice of a shot or the flu mist, you’ll probably choose the flu mist,” Kaylor said. “And all the shots get left behind. And the flu mist is more of a live virus. If your immune system is already compromised, then you can’t get the mist because you could get the flu from that flu medicine.”

Jack Lester, a UA graduate, always prepares for the flu season, and this season was no different. He received the flu shot his junior and senior years at the Capstone after contracting the illness his first two years.

“I don’t see my friends prepare as much,” Lester said. “I think they wash their hands and use hand sanitizer, but I don’t know if my friends get a flu shot. And that is something maybe more of my friends can do.”

Flu shots are still available at the Student Health Center or the Faculty/Staff Clinic at the University Medical Center.