The ASU Health Center at the Downtown Phoenix campus is hosting a flu shot fair to say goodbye to influenza and introduce to the community a resource they may not know exists.

“The Flu Shot Fair” takes place Nov. 12 at the ASU Health Center, 500 N. 3rd Street, Phoenix. Entrance to the building is on Taylor Street. Flu shots will be administered from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. and from 4 to 6 p.m.

Phoenix Mayor Phil Gordon plans to roll up his sleeves and receive his flu vaccination at the Nov. 12 fair.

“My family and I get our flu shots every year,” Gordon said. “It doesn’t stop me from falling out of trees, but I haven’t had the flu in years.”

Denise Link, associate dean for clinical practice and community partnership in the College of Nursing and Healthcare Innovation, said the flu presents itself at a later time in Arizona that the rest of the nation; however, it stays in the state later as well. By receiving a shot in November, it ensures protection for the entire flu season.

Link said the fair is a way to introduce the ASU Health Center, staffed by nurse practitioners, nurse practitioners, psychologists, social workers and medical assistants, as a downtown resource for students, employees, residents and hotel guests who need immediate care.

“Our facility is just like any other full-service private healthcare practice,” Link said. “The downtown needs a facility like this to provide day-to-day healthcare so that people have access to care that they need in a convenient manner.”

Students from all Arizona public universities who are enrolled in the Aetna Student Health Plan offered by the three universities can obtain a flu shot free of charge with identification. Other accepted insurance companies include United Healthcare, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona, RAN-AMN and Benefit Options. Students who are uninsured can receive flu shots for $21; the fee for uninsured university employees and the general public is also $21.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the flu is responsible for approximately 36,000 deaths a year. Last year in Arizona there were 544 reported cases of flu; 363 of those cases were in Maricopa County.

For more information on services provided at the ASU Health Center, visit http://nursing.asu.edu/nmhc/asuhc/services.htm, or call (602) 496-0721.