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Photo by Sakura Yu @lululunarian, Unsplash
Text by Chong Xin Wei
Some 2,000 NTU students will now be able register for free flu vaccinations offered by campus medical centre Fullerton Health from Jan 17 to March 31, according to an email announcement sent to students on Tuesday (Jan 11).
The influenza jabs are offered on a first-come-first-served basis and those with heart, lung and other chronic medical conditions were urged to get the vaccine.
The move comes after concerns of a “looming twin-demic” – an influenza re-emergence happening along with the Covid-19 pandemic – as border restrictions ease in many parts of the world, wrote Mr Tan Hee Kiang, director of Office of Commercial and Auxiliary Services in the email.
Mr Tan said: “With the opening of international borders, influenza will likely reappear in the community again, with symptoms not too different from COVID-19.”
Interested students may sign up for the vaccination via the link sent to their school emails.
However, the vaccination programme may not be suitable for those who have developed severe, life-threatening allergic reactions to the flu vaccine or any ingredient in the vaccine, Fullerton Health said in a list of frequently asked questions attached in the email.
More than 20 per cent of the slots offered have been taken up, according to data on Fullerton Health’s booking site as at 5.20pm.
Due to a limited number of slots, students are encouraged to book their appointments early to avoid disappointment.
To make an appointment, NTU students must create an account with Fullerton Health by keying in their personal details and setting the company name as “NTU – Nanyang Technological University”. They can then select their preferred date and time on the portal.
An appointment confirmation email and SMS will be sent to students who have successfully booked a slot.
