Flu Shots at SLU 2026
#FightFlu at Saint Louis University
Seasonal flu is a serious, highly contagious respiratory illness and its symptoms overlap with COVID-19. On college campuses, influenza viruses are known to circulate rapidly every year, usually between October and May.
Flu Shots are Especially Important This Semester
We are entering a flu season that is likely to be much more severe than we have seen in recent years. The best protection against influenza is the flu vaccine. And we strongly recommend that everyone who is medically able should obtain a flu vaccine this semester.
Many SLU students and employees are already required to get an annual flu vaccine as part of a clinical or educational program requirement.
- Reduce your risk of getting sick and lessen the severity of illness if you become infected.
- Protect vulnerable members of our community and reduce the spread of flu on campus.
- Minimize missed work, classes and campus activities.
- Reduce flu illnesses with symptoms similar to those of COVID-19, RSV and other respiratory infections. Testing can help distinguish between these illnesses.
- Reduce your risk of having flu and COVID-19 at the same time, which can increase the risk of severe illness. The flu vaccine does not protect against COVID-19.
- Ease the burden on health care professionals in campus clinics and local hospitals.
We will be providing a trivalent (three-component) flu vaccine. We will also offer a preservative-free flu vaccine for pregnant individuals, a high-dose vaccine for community members who are age 65 and over, and an egg-free vaccine for people with egg allergies.
Saint Louis University will be offering on-campus flu shots for all students, staff and faculty at multiple times and locations this semester. Schedule an appointment online through the SLU flu shot scheduling system. Walk-ins are welcome at clinic locations, though appointments are encouraged.
Please complete the consent and health insurance form in advance to help reduce your clinic wait time. Paper copies are available at the information desks in Busch Student Center, Simon Recreation Center and at the main circulation desk in Pius XII Memorial Library.
Complete the consent and insurance form before your appointment to help reduce wait times. You will need information from your health insurance card to complete the form. Please bring the consent form with you to your appointment.
No. Your health insurance plan will reimburse the Visiting Nurse Association of Greater St. Louis (VNA) for the costs of the influenza vaccine and administration. The VNA is a non-profit agency that has been partnering with SLU in recent years to help administer flu shots on our campuses, along with the extraordinary faculty and students from our Trudy Busch Valentine School of Nursing.
There is no out-of-pocket cost for most participants. Health insurance plans are billed directly for the vaccine administration. If you do not have health insurance, or your plan does not cover the vaccine provided at a SLU clinic, the flu shot will still be provided at no cost to you.
If you do not have health insurance, or your health plan will not cover the cost of a flu shot provided at one the University’s flu clinics, the flu shot will be provided at no cost to you — no matter whether you are a SLU student, a SLU employee, or a Sodexo employee working at SLU.
Yes, if they can provide proof of health insurance. Please make sure that they register
for an appointment and bring their health insurance card with them, to complete the
required consent and health insurance form.
SLU will not vaccinate family members who are unable to provide their current proof
of insurance at the time of their appointment.
Yes, you can receive the flu vaccine and COVID-19 vaccine, at or near the same time, at local community clinics and pharmacies.
If you have concerns about getting both vaccines at the same time, you should speak to a health care provider.
We will not be hosting COVID-19 vaccine clinics at this time.
Our flu shot clinics would not occur without the tremendous involvement of our School of Nursing faculty and students. Many thanks to them for their continued work to promote the public health of the SLU community.
If you have questions about getting your flu shot, you can email us at fightflu@slu.edu. The website of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has up-to-date information on the flu vaccine.