Pupil Well being is introducing up to date psychological well being providers within the wake of two back-to-back mass shootings which have shocked residents of California.
A brand new 24/7 chat service is now obtainable through Pupil Well being as a part of their partnership with Oasis. They’ve additionally launched further periods of the “Let’s Speak” program in partnership with Asian Pacific American Pupil Providers, Chief Pupil Well being Officer Dr. Sarah Van Orman mentioned in a briefing with the Each day Trojan Tuesday morning.
“It has been a extremely tough couple of days starting with the occasions in Monterey Park and now information of a second variety of shootings right here in California. I feel many individuals are personally affected … in addition to simply the sense of lack of security and lack of safety, and the worry that persons are feeling,” Van Orman mentioned. “We actually wish to encourage folks to achieve out, in the event that they’re feeling that, to speak to friends and associates or to achieve out for sources.”
Van Orman mentioned the brand new Oasis chat service will not be a “medical” service, “but it surely’s nice for folks in the event that they’re feeling simply overwhelmed or harassed.”
College students are additionally inspired to ask for assist through Pupil Well being’s 24/7 psychological disaster line.
Starting Feb. 1, Pupil Well being will set up influenza shot pop-up tents throughout campus. These will happen by way of the top of February on Tuesdays at USC Village, or Wednesdays throughout the Trojan Farmers Market at McCarthy Quad. Van Orman encourages college students who haven’t already completed so to get their flu photographs, stressing that flu continues to be a threat.
“It’s very early within the flu season, and final yr we had flu as late as April,” Van Orman mentioned.
At present, solely about 30% of undergraduates and 40% of graduate college students have obtained their flu shot.
“Folks with influenza truly are usually fairly sick,” Van Orman mentioned. “Flu photographs don’t 100% shield you from getting the flu, however they undoubtedly imply decrease ranges of signs and extra gentle illness.”
Pupil Well being continues to maintain tabs on coronavirus instances, which Van Orman says are down from 100 instances final week to 86 instances this week. In mild of the Meals and Drug Administration’s define for an annual coronavirus booster plan, Pupil Well being will concentrate on monitoring nationwide well being updates and creating clearly outlined pointers for the USC neighborhood.
“We expect that there can be some want for ongoing boosters, at the least for people at increased threat and older,” Van Orman mentioned. “I feel what [the FDA is] making an attempt to do is de facto form of begin to lay out a plan that can permit folks to maneuver this into their regular sense of normal preventative measures.”
At present, the College requires college students, college and employees to obtain their major vaccination sequence in addition to one booster.
“We’re going to be our coverage over the subsequent couple of months,” Van Orman mentioned. “Until one thing adjustments, I feel it’s unlikely that we’re going to have a coverage that requires folks to get all their boosters, however we’d advocate that.”
Van Orman mentioned that Pupil Well being is prioritizing good public well being data and guaranteeing that the whole USC neighborhood has entry to the vaccines they want.
“I feel the true take-home [message] with the FDA situation is de facto that the medical and public well being neighborhood [needs] to begin offering clear pathways for folks to grasp who must be boosted and when do you have to be boosted,” Van Orman mentioned. “As a result of it’s actually very complicated proper now.”
