It's that time of the year again, as the temperature drops below freezing and people huddle indoors in droves, it becomes the perfect breeding ground for a relatively common, but nonetheless painfully serious illness: the flu.

The flu, or influenza, is a respiratory illness that causes fever, coughing, headaches, fatigue and extreme weakness, and all this caused by one little virus.

However, that doesn't mean it's not preventable. The flu shot, provided free of charge by the Ontario government and available on campus, can help prevent the illness in between 70-90 per cent of people who get vaccinated. And though the higher at risk demographics include the young, elderly and those with weakened immune systems, but that doesn't mean that a healthy adult can't catch the virus.

“We've had anywhere between 400 and 600 people between all the clinics in the past couple of years,” said Olive Murray, an Occupational Health and Safety Nurse at Fanshawe College.

As for the 2007/08 strain, Murray believes that little has changed in the past couple years in regards to the vaccine, which is in effect tailor-made each year for the virus.

“I think they've added a little bit more to the serum we had last year, but it's basically the same,” Murray explained. “They try to guess what the strain is, so I think pretty much this year they're staying more or less the same as what they have for the last couple of years.”

The inoculation itself, however, isn't without it's on risk of side effects, and mild though they generally are, they are something to look out for.

“It's just like with any vaccination, anyone can react to it,” Murray said. The major thing that can happen is a severe allergic reaction. Anyone who has had any allergies to a previous vaccination, any vaccination, should speak again to their physician before having it.”

Murray explained that mild soreness, some swelling, headaches or a slight fever can occur, but nothing she says a Tylenol or Advil wouldn't help.

Students who are interested in the vaccination can attend one of the free-clinics on either Wednesday, November 14 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. or November 21 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. in room SC1014 in the Student Centre.