Category: Health and Safety Updates

2023-24 seasonal influenza vaccines and updated 2023-24 COVID-19 vaccines have arrived at Student Health Services. WSU faculty, staff and students — make your appointment now, while supplies last.

Everyone 6 months and older is recommended to receive one dose of updated influenza and mRNA COVID-19 vaccines. The new COVID-19 vaccine formula targets the variants that are currently circulating in the United States. Who is eligible for the Flu and COVID-19 vaccines at Student Health Services?

• Ages 18 and over
• Currently enrolled WSU students
• Current WSU employees
• Must be at least 10 days past a positive COVID test or COVID-19/influenza-like symptoms.

How to get your vaccination?

• Appointments are required. Call 316-978-4792 to schedule.
• Bring your current health insurance card to use your possible free immunization benefits. If SHS is considered out of network with your insurance, you may have out-of-pocket costs.
• Allow 15 minutes to sit and wait after receiving the COVID-19 vaccination.

How much do the vaccinations cost?

• Flu Vaccines – $25, plus administration fee
• 2023-24 COVID booster vaccine – Pfizer Comirnaty – $125, plus administration fee

Other COVID-19 vaccination locations in the Wichita Community: vaccines.gov/search

• When searching on the site, uninsured or underinsured persons should be sure to click the box for “Bridge Access Program Participant” while searching for a vaccine using this site. This program provides no-cost COVID-19 vaccines to adults without health insurance and adults whose insurance does not cover all COVID-19 vaccine costs. There are 19 pharmacies or health departments in the Wichita area that are authorized participants of this program.

There are many reasons to love the winter season, holidays, snow and sweater weather to name a few. However, one thing people do not love about winter is the flu season. The tips and resources below will help you to protect yourself and others and help stop the spread of germs:

• The best way to stay healthy during flu season is by getting the flu vaccine each year.
• Avoid close contact with people who are sick. When you are sick, wear a mask and keep your distance from others to protect them from getting sick too.
• Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue when coughing or sneezing. Flu viruses spread mainly by droplets from cough and sneezing.
• Wash your hands often. If soap and water are not available, use hand sanitizer.
• Avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth. Germs can spread when a person touches something contaminated with germs and then touches their eyes, nose or mouth.
• Clean and disinfect frequently touched surfaces at home, work or school, especially when someone is ill.
• Get plenty of sleep, be physically active, manage your stress, drink plenty of fluids and eat nutritious food.
• If possible, stay home from work, school and errands when you are sick.

For questions or to make an appointment with Student Health Services, call 316-978-4792.

As Kansas expects freezing weather, the Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE) offers advice on how to stay safe and avoid cold weather-related health issues:

• Wear appropriate clothing: Hat, scarf or mask that covers face/mouth, a water-resistant coat, gloves, several layers of loose-fitting clothing and water-resistant boots.
• Pay special attention to most-affected body parts: Nose, ears, toes, cheeks, chin and fingers.
• Know the signs: If a person’s temperature is below 95 degrees, they should seek medical attention immediately.
  • Hypothermia: Shivering, exhaustion, confusion, fumbling hands, memory loss, slurred speech or drowsiness
  • Frostbite: Redness or pain on skin may be the first sign of frostbite. Other signs include a white or grayish-yellow area on skin, skin that feels unusually firm or waxy, or numbness
• Monitor those at high risk: Although anyone can experience hypothermia and frostbite, some individuals are at a higher risk.

For questions, contact Student Health Services at student.health@wichita.edu or call 316-978-4792.

COVID-19 testing remains available at the Molecular Diagnostics Laboratory (MDL), 4174 S. Oliver, building 174H, for all students, faculty, staff and the general public at no cost.

Need a test? Self-scheduled appointments are available Monday through Thursday 7 a.m.-4 p.m. or Friday 7 a.m.-2 p.m. Guaranteed results within 24 hours of receiving the test.

2023-24 seasonal influenza vaccines and updated 2023-24 COVID-19 vaccines have arrived at Student Health Services. WSU faculty, staff and students — make your appointment now, while supplies last.

Everyone 6 months and older is recommended to receive one dose of updated influenza and mRNA COVID-19 vaccines. The new COVID-19 vaccine formula targets the variants that are currently circulating in the United States. Who is eligible for the Flu and COVID-19 vaccines at Student Health Services?

• Ages 18 and over
• Currently enrolled WSU students
• Current WSU employees
• Must be at least 10 days past a positive COVID test or COVID-19/influenza-like symptoms.

How to get your vaccination?

• Appointments are required. Call 316-978-4792 to schedule.
• Bring your current health insurance card to use your possible free immunization benefits. If SHS is considered out of network with your insurance, you may have out-of-pocket costs.
• Allow 15 minutes to sit and wait after receiving the COVID-19 vaccination.

How much do the vaccinations cost?

• Flu Vaccines – $25, plus administration fee
• 2023-24 COVID booster vaccine – Pfizer Comirnaty – $125, plus administration fee

Other COVID-19 vaccination locations in the Wichita Community: vaccines.gov/search

• When searching on the site, uninsured or underinsured persons should be sure to click the box for “Bridge Access Program Participant” while searching for a vaccine using this site. This program provides no-cost COVID-19 vaccines to adults without health insurance and adults whose insurance does not cover all COVID-19 vaccine costs. There are 19 pharmacies or health departments in the Wichita area that are authorized participants of this program.

As temperatures rise during the week, the Center for Disease Control (CDC) offers advice on how to stay safe and avoid serious health problems.

Stay Cool

• Wear appropriate clothing: Choose lightweight, loose-fitting clothing.
• Use air conditioning: Take breaks in an air-conditioned location to cool down. Fans can provide comfort, but won’t prevent heat-related illnesses.
• Pace yourself: If you’re not accustomed to working in a hot environment, start slowly and pick up the pace gradually.
• Wear sunscreen: Sunburn affects your body’s ability to cool down and can make you dehydrated. Protect yourself from the sun by wearing a wide-brimmed hat, sunglasses and apply and reapply sunscreen with SPF 30 or higher every two hours.
• Avoid hot and heavy meals: They add heat to your body.

Stay Hydrated

• Drink plenty of fluids: Drink more fluids than usual. Don’t wait until you’re thirsty to drink.
  • Avoid surgary drinks, caffeine and alcohol. Avoid ice-cold beverages that could cause stomach cramping.
• Replace salt and minerals: Heavy sweating removes salt and minerals from the body that need to be replaced. A sports drink can replace the salt and minerals you lose in sweat.

Stay Informed

• Know the signs: Learn the signs and symptoms of heat-related illnesses and how to treat them.
• Use a buddy system: When working in the heat, monitor the condition of your co-workers and have someone do the same for you. Heat-induced illness can cause a person to become confused or lose consciousness
• Monitor those at high risk: Although anyone at any time can suffer from heat-related illness, some people are at greater risk than others.

COVID-19 Pfizer original series vaccines and bivalent booster shots are available at no additional charge to the Wichita State campus community.

The walk-in vaccinations are available in the Student Wellness Center.

Student Health Services (SHS) announced that students will have access to a variety of new health care needs. SHS will now start offering the following additional services:

• On-site X-ray and ultrasound.
• ADHD medications management.
• Orthopedic injury evaluation.
• Social services consultation.
• Nutrition consultations and weight support.

The myShockerHealth patient portal is intended to make it easier for students to interact and communicate with SHS. With this secure patient portal, students can schedule appointments online, request medications refills, pay balances, upload documents, read and print vaccination information, and connect with one of SHS’ health care professionals via secure messaging.

New students/patients can log into myShockerHealth or call SHS at 316-978-4792 to get started.

Wichita State has a single website for all students, staff and faculty to utilize for reporting any incidents of concerning behavior. If you see something that gives you cause for concern, please submit any information you have through the appropriate form on the website.

The website includes reporting forms for the following concerns:

• Care Team – Used to report any person who is concerned about the health or safety of a WSU student, employee, visitor or the campus community at large.
• Title IX/Discrimination – Used to report any discrimination on the basis of sex and all forms of protected characteristic discrimination.
• Bias Incident – Used to report any bias related incidents.
• Student Advocate – Used to report any student complaint, where the student advocate can help provide resources and resolution options.
• Conduct – Used to report behavior that is disruptive to the campus community, infringes on any person’s ability to successfully pursue their academic progress, violates the Student Code of Conduct, or puts others or themselves in danger.
• Academic Integrity – Used to report violations of the WSU Policies and Procedures Manual section 2.17, Student Academic Integrity.
• Clery – Used to report any Clery crimes.

Remember that if there is an emergency, always call the WSU Police Department at 316-978-3450 or dial 911.

Just in time for the surge of respiratory illnesses flooding the state, Wichita State University’s Molecular Diagnostics Lab has announced it will extend free RSV, influenza and COVID (RIC) testing through March 31, 2023.

The MDL has been providing public testing for COVID since October 2020, and the triple-virus RIC test was added to the MDL’s capabilities in December 2021. All MDL testing costs have been covered through CARES funding from the Kansas Department of Health and Environment.