Tuesday Hadden

Update as of Oct. 21 at 6:30 p.m.: Habif has added some Athletic Complex clinic appointments for Friday, Oct. 22 and for late next week. You can sign up for those appointments at this link.

With the new season comes flu season. That student in your class swearing they are COVID-free between coughs may be telling the truth, but their sickness is not an isolated incident. As the semester continues, it has become more clear that COVID-19 is not the only transmissible illness on our campus. Getting your flu shot is not only important for your own health and the health of our community, it’s also required by the University.

The deadline to upload documentation of your flu vaccination to the Student Health Portal is Nov. 1. If the documentation is not uploaded by then, a hold will be put on your student record account, disabling class registration. 

Last year, students received an email on Oct. 6 which gave notice on the flu vaccination deadline, which was Nov. 20. This year’s vaccination requirement didn’t give students as much notice, nor was it publicized as much as last year — and as of Wednesday night, there are no open Recreation Center appointments.

In an email to Student Life, Habif’s Executive Director Cheri LeBlanc explained that the national health care worker shortage has been affecting Habif as well as Washington University’s Medical School as a whole. This has made it difficult to free up enough nurses and medical assistants to administer flu shots, resulting in limited appointment availability. According to LeBlanc, more dates for flu shot appointments at the Athletic Complex may open up soon, so if you keep an eye out, you may be able to get your flu shot on campus after all. However, the fact remains that those who want to get their flu shot sooner rather than later will likely have to look off campus to do so.

Accessing flu shots isn’t something our Editorial Board would normally focus on, but we want to ensure that students are aware of the deadline, are able to receive their flu shots and avoid the penalties of not doing so. With that goal in mind, here are some off-campus pharmacies that are offering the flu vaccine. 

Here are the closest and most convenient options:

CVS on Delmar

Hours: 8 a.m.-12 a.m. every day

Location: 6211 Delmar Blvd; at corner of Delmar and Skinker

Distance: About a 15 minute walk from campus

Transportation: You can take the Delmar Loop Shuttle or walk north on Skinker. You can also take the Orange Line shuttle from the Clocktower to the edge of Skinker and Forest Park Parkway.

Appointments: They offer walk-ins and appointments.

Insurance: Free with most insurance information

Walgreens

Hours: The pharmacy is open 7 a.m.-11 p.m. on weekdays and 7 a.m.–1:30 p.m. and 2–11 p.m. on weekends.

Location: 6733 Clayton Road; at the corner of Big Bend and Clayton

Distance: About a 20 minute walk from campus

Transportation: You can walk south on Big Bend or take the Campus2Home shuttle to Clayton.

Appointments: Make an appointment online or call the pharmacy. 

Insurance: Free with most insurance information

Millbrook Pharmacy

Hours: 10 a.m.-4 p.m. on Sunday and 9 a.m.-7 p.m. the rest of the week

Location: 7010 Pershing Ave.; at the corner of Big Bend and Forest Park Parkway

Distance: About a 3 minute walk from the Village

Transportation: You can walk towards the northwest corner of campus.

Appointments: Walk-ins are welcome.

Insurance: Free with most insurance information

Total Access 

Hours: 8 a.m.-8 p.m. everyday

Location: 1005 S Big Bend Blvd.; opposite corner of Big Bend and Clayton from Walgreens

Distance: About a 20 minute walk from main campus

Transportation: You can walk south on Big Bend or take the Campus2Home shuttle to Clayton.

Appointments: No appointment is needed.

Insurance: Free with most insurance information

Here are some alternative but less accessible options:

CVS in Target

Hours: Pharmacy is open 9 a.m.-6 p.m. on weekends and 9 a.m.-9 p.m. on weekdays

Location: 25 Brentwood Promenade Ct. 

Distance: About a 3 minute walk to the University City Metro station from the Village, a 20 minute Metro ride, and a 15 minute walk from the Brentwood station to the Target

Transportation: You can take the MetroLink to the Brentwood station and walk two parking lots down. 

Appointments: They offer appointments and walk-ins.

Insurance: Free with most insurance information

Walmart

Hours: Pharmacy is open 9 a.m.-9 p.m. on weekdays, 9 a.m.-7 p.m. on Saturdays and 10 a.m.-6 p.m. on Sundays

Location: 1900 Maplewood Commons Dr.

Distance: About a 10 minute Uber from campus or a 30 minute ride on the MetroLink

Transportation: Uber would be easiest, though you can get there using the MetroLink. The MetroLink station is a 10 minute walk away from the store. 

Appointments: They offer appointments and walk-ins.

Insurance: Free with most insurance information

Update as of Oct. 21 at 6:30 p.m.: Habif has added some Athletic Complex clinic appointments for Friday, Oct. 22 and for late next week. You can sign up for those appointments at this link.

Staff editorials reflect the opinion of the majority of our editorial board members. The editorial board operates independently of our newsroom and includes members of the senior staff. 

Editor-In-Chief: Matthew Friedman

Managing Editors: Jayla Butler, Isabella Neubauer

Senior Forum Editors: Reilly Brady, Jamila Dawkins

Senior Scene Editors: Olivia Poolos, Julia Robbins

Senior Cadenza Editor: Gracie Hime

Senior Sports Editor: Grady Nance

Senior Copy Editor: Grady Nance

Senior Multimedia Editor: Jaden Satenstein, HN Hoffmann

Senior Social Media Editor: Sabrina Spence

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