Free flu shots will be available to West Virginia University students and employees from noon-6 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 6, and from 8 a.m.-2 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 7, in the Mountainlair Shenandoah Room.

A limited number of shots1,500will be given on a first-come, first-serve basis. People participating in the clinics should bring their Mountaineer ID cards and wear loose-sleeved shirts to allow easy access to the upper arm.

Jan Palmer, WVU Student Health Center director, noted the vaccines were purchased by the Health Sciences Center administration as part of a public health effort. More than 1,600 HSC students, faculty and staff were immunized at similar clinics in late November, with little or no waiting.

Palmer said October and November are the best months to be vaccinated, but a flu shot in December can also be beneficial as flu season can last into May.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, influenza is a very contagious disease. Symptoms include fever, sore throat, chills, fatigue, cough, headache and muscle aches. Flu can lead to pneumonia and kills about 36,000 people each year in the United States, mostly among the elderly.

Flu vaccine is usually 80-90 percent effective in preventing illness from influenza virus, say health experts. It takes at least two weeks to build immunity after getting a shot.