After a one-year hiatus, FluFest is scheduled to return to Frist Campus Center today with low-cost influenza vaccinations for members of the University community.
The event was canceled last year because of a national shortage of flu vaccines, but organizers do not anticipate a problem this year. Chief Medical Officer Daniel Silverman said the flu shots should arrive on campus this morning.
"We are expecting a go for FluFest," Silverman said in an email last week. "It will be possible to get more shots for the second day if the demand is unexpectedly high. We have reserved 5000 doses of the vaccine for now."
Students will be charged $15 for the vaccination, which is subsidized by the University. Shots will be administered on the B level of Frist, with snacks, raffle prizes, fitness evaluations and massages available on the 100 level.
Silverman said there was no significant increase in flu cases on campus last year, despite the cancellation of the vaccination event.
"We had a pretty typical flu season last year at Princeton, but it was probably a relatively moderate flu season nationally last year," he said.
FluFest, which is perhaps the most visible Health Services event of the year, is not only an opportunity to administer flu shots but also a chance to raise awareness about health and wellness issues more generally, Silverman said.
"We think the event is of great importance to the community from both a preventive health perspective as well as a health promotion and educational perspective," he said. "We have a great opportunity to share important health information about many important topics with our Princeton community."
The event will feature a number of preventative health services, including blood pressure screening, fitness evaluations and information about stress reduction and healthy eating.
FluFest was held for the first time in 2003, when it served nearly 5,000 students, staff and faculty, according to Health Services.
The festivities this year will include a healthy cooking demonstration by the University's Executive Chef Robert Harbison, a "relaxation room" with free massages and CPR classes provided by Outdoor Action, said Gina Baral, who coordinates health promotion and wellness services for University Health Services.
Baral, who helped plan FluFest from its inception, said this year's event will surpass the first FluFest.
"It has been fun to work with our campus partners to design new and creative ways to excite members of our community about health and wellness," she said in an email.
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