The number of flu cases on campus has risen since before the break, but an official at the Brown-Lupton Health Center said students should not be overly alarmed.

“It is just the winter. People come back from Christmas break with the germs, and it spreads,” Health Services Administrator Stacey Simpson said.

The Health Center will offer free flu vaccinations to all students until March, she said.

“Right now is when the flu peaks, and then it dies down around March when spring comes,” Simpson said.

Despite the fullness of the Health Center’s waiting room, this year’s flu season has shaped up to be better than the 2009-2010 season, Simpson said.

“It’s not worse than last year,” she said. “It’s a lot better this year.”

Last year, the university had about 600 students with flu-like illnesses, according to a previous Daily Skiff article. This year, the vaccine would protect students from the swine flu as well as several other types of flu, according to an informational flyer produced by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Free Flu Shots

Where: TCU Health Center (next to the BLUU)

When: Monday-Friday 9 a.m. – 4 p.m. (The Health Center stays open until 5 p.m.)

Who: All TCU students

What to Bring: Texas Department of State Health Services Vaccine Consent Form