The University of Alabama flu shot campaign began Wednesday with free shots on the Quad.

These flu shot events will continue each week through Nov. 28 at various locations across campus as a way to make getting a flu shot easy and convenient for students, UA workers and their families.

The shots are free and no insurance is required, although students and employees will need to provide their campus-wide identification number, or CWID.

Now in its seventh year, the campaign is led by UA’s College of Community Health Sciences.

“Getting vaccinated also protects those around you, including those who are more vulnerable to serious flu illness. For example, babies and young children, older people and people with certain chronic health conditions,” said Wyndy Looney, director of nursing for the College of Community Health Sciences CCHS. “This concept is called community immunity, or herd immunity.

“When enough people are vaccinated against a certain disease, it is more difficult for germs to easily spread from person to person, meaning everyone becomes less likely to get the disease.”

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, persons at high risk for flu-related complications are children younger than 5 years old, but especially children younger than 2 years old, adults 65 years of age and older, pregnant women and women up to two weeks postpartum, and residents of nursing homes and other long-term care facilities.

Vaccination to prevent influenza is particularly important for people who are at high risk of serious complications from influenza, and the CDC recommends an annual flu vaccine for everyone 6 months of age or older, including pregnant women and individuals with medical conditions.

The shots will be administered by nurses from University Medical Center, which the College of Community Health Sciences operates, and the University’s Student Health Center and Capstone College of Nursing.

In addition to the flu shot stations, students and employees can get vaccinations at any time at the University Medical Center, Faculty Staff-Clinic and Student Health Center.

Students will also have opportunities to get a flu shot at residence halls across campus.

Spouses of employees can receive the free flu vaccines at the campus flu shot stations or at the UA Faculty-Staff Clinic in University Medical Center, and insurance is not required.

Children of employees with UA health insurance can receive flu vaccinations at University Medical Center, and children of employees with non-UA health insurance can receive flu shots at the UA Faculty-Staff Clinic if their insurance has previously approved nurse practitioner coverage.

Flu shots are currently scheduled at the locations listed below. Visit www.cchs.ua.edu/flushot to view additional locations as they become available.

• Sept. 18: Rose Administration Building (Room G54), 7:30 a.m.–11 a.m.

• Sept. 26: Reese Phifer Hall (Rotunda), 11:30 a.m.–2:30 p.m.

• Sept. 27: Student Recreation Center, 9 a.m.-4 p.m.

• Oct. 2: UA Police Department (2nd Floor Conference Room), 7:30.a.m.–11 a.m.

• Oct. 17: UA employees at Coleman Coliseum, 7:30 a.m.–1 p.m.

• Oct. 31: Gorgas Library (Room 205), 11:30 a.m.–2:30 p.m.

• Nov. 6: Law School (Basement Hall), 7:30 a.m.–11 a.m.

• Nov. 14: Procurement (Training Room), 11:30 a.m.–2:30 p.m.

• Nov. 28: Ferguson Student Center (Rooms 3103 & 3104), 11:30 a.m.–2:30 p.m.