Health Service has witnessed an increase in cases of influenza this semester, according to Clinic Manager Kathleen O'Dea.
According to O'Dea, it is hard to pinpoint reasons for the rise in influenza, more commonly known as the flu, due to the fact that it is an ever-changing virus.
"The flu is different every year," she said.
Of those students who have been diagnosed with the virus, O'Dea said that 99 percent reported that they had not received the vaccine, which Tufts clinicians administered free throughout the month of November.
"We gave out at least 1,500 vaccines, free to the entire community," O'Dea said, adding that Health Service offices on the Boston and Grafton campuses did the same.
O'Dea said that there are many ways students can protect themselves from contracting the virus even if they haven't had a flu shot.
She cited washing hands thoroughly and frequently, especially after shaking someone's hand, touching door handles or exercising in a gym.
"There are germs on those things," she said.
She also suggested that students should stay away from sick individuals.
There is also an existing medication that may prevent people from contracting the flu if they have been in close contact with an infected individual.
"It's an anti-viral medication that may prevent you from contracting [influenza] if taken pretty quickly," O'Dea said.
In addition to influenza, O'Dea mentioned that cases of another virus, the stomach flu, have increased recently as well.
"There has been a fair amount of the stomach flu in Massachusetts in general," she said.
