Free flu shots today at 10th annual Bouvé health fair

The 10th annual Bouvé Health Fair and Flu Clinic will offer a range of health services and information to Northeastern students, faculty, and staff. Photo by Matthew Modoono/Northeastern University

On Wednesday, Northeastern is hosting its 10th-annual Bouvé Health Fair and Flu Clinic, where students, faculty, and staff can get free flu shots and access a range of other health screenings, information, and resources.

The event will be held in the Curry Student Center Ballroom and Indoor Quad from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

This year, organizers will have more than 3,000 flu shot vaccines to distribute to the community, the most in the event’s history.

“Students at college campuses are at a much greater risk of catching the flu because of their close quarters,” said Mark Douglass, associate clinical professor in the Department of Pharmacy Practice and Phi Delta Chi’s advisor. And the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says that an annual flu vaccine “is the first and best way to protect yourself from the flu.”

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With thousands of people routinely attending the health fair, and with attendance steadily growing through the years, organizers hope this year’s event will be the biggest yet.

“Every year, we strive to make the Bouvé health fair bigger and better. For our 10th anniversary this year, we’ve decided to spice it up by adding more events,” said Kevin Fan, BHS’20, event organizer and member of Phi Delta Chi.

Those new events include free Zumba and yoga classes, exercise competitions—such as a push-up competition—with prizes, and a guest faculty speaker who will address healthy eating habits, Fan said.

Free cholesterol testing, blood pressure and blood glucose screenings, as well as information on smoking cessation programs, melanoma awareness, diabetes awareness, and other vaccines will also be available.

A blood drive, which has historically been part of the event, was extended to two days this year due to its popularity. A limited number of walk-in appointments will be available on Wednesday and Thursday.

“We encourage the Northeastern community to take control of their health and lead healthy lives,” Fan said.

The health fair is hosted by the university chapter of Phi Delta Chi, a professional pharmacy fraternity, in collaboration with the School of Pharmacy, School of Nursing, and the physician assistant program, as well as other student groups and University Health and Counseling Services.