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MDHHS announces winners of 2016 College Flu Vaccination Challenge, reminds residents to get immunized
April 20, 2016
For Immediate Release: April 20, 2016
LANSING, Mich. – In an effort to raise influenza vaccination rates among young adults, the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) partnered with Alana’s Foundation and 17 Michigan colleges and universities in the second annual Flu Vaccination Challenge. The Challenge was first implemented in the 2014-2015 flu season as a friendly competition to see which schools could achieve the highest flu vaccination rates on their campuses.
Today, MDHHS announced that Calvin College, Wayne State University, and Michigan State University are the winners of the 2015-2016 Flu Vaccination Challenge for small, medium, and large-sized schools, respectively. This represents the first win for Calvin College and back-to-back wins from 2014-2015 for Wayne State University and Michigan State University.
“Vaccination is the single best way to prevent the flu,” said Nick Lyon, director of MDHHS. “I congratulate the winners of this year’s Flu Vaccination Challenge and applaud all of the colleges and universities that partnered with us to raise awareness and vaccination rates on their campuses.”
The announcement comes at the tail end of a relatively late-hitting influenza season, with 40 states, including Michigan, reporting widespread flu activity in mid-March. Over the last 18 flu seasons (including this season), only three seasons have peaked in March (2015-2016, 2011-2012 and 2005-2006). The 50 pediatric flu-associated deaths that have been reported to date in the U.S. this season are a somber reminder of the danger flu poses to children and adults, alike.
“Vaccine-preventable diseases like the flu are a very real threat in our communities,” said Dr. Eden Wells, chief medical executive with MDHHS. “Even healthy people, like college-aged young adults, get the flu and it can be very serious.”
Last flu season, 44.3 percent of Michigan residents were vaccinated against the flu according to national survey data, below the national average of 47.1 percent. Data from the Michigan Care Improvement Registry showed only 10.8 percent of adults aged 18-24 years were vaccinated against the flu in 2014-2015. The Flu Vaccination Challenge remains an important collaborative effort to increase flu immunization rates among young adults.
MDHHS thanks all of the schools that joined the 2015-2016 College Flu Challenge to protect their students against the flu: Albion College, Alma College, Aquinas College, Calvin College, Eastern Michigan University, Ferris State University, Grand Valley State University, Hope College, Kalamazoo College, Michigan State University, Muskegon Community College, Oakland University, Rochester College, Southwestern Michigan College, University of Michigan, Wayne State University, and Western Michigan University.
MDHHS and Alana’s Foundation will award the winning schools with Alana Yaksich Memorial traveling trophies during the Flu Advisory Board meeting in May.
It is not too late to get vaccinated this flu season. To find a flu vaccine location near you, visit http://flushot.healthmap.org. For more information about the flu in Michigan, visit www.michigan.gov/flu.
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