A response to the mandated Flu vaccine for the University of Kentucky

 Last week, every student at the University of Kentucky was sent an email from President Eli Capilouto. In this email we were told that it was mandatory for every student to receive a Flu vaccination. It being my first year as a student, I'm unsure if this has been mandated every year prior, or if it's only required due to the pandemic. This being stated, this post will be examining this requirement in the pretense of it being mandated due to COVID-19. In my Bio 101 class, we're currently doing an assignment on the myths and facts of COVID-19. One of the myths presented is that getting a Flu vaccination will aid you in defense against the virus. This is false, as the strands targeted for Flu vaccinations are different than those found in COVID-19. While Influenza and COVID-19 are both types coronaviruses, they have different affects on the body, as they target different functions. COVID-19 will typically affect multiple areas of the respiratory tract, such as the alveoli sacs of the lungs, while the Flu predominately affects the columnar epithelial cells. The major difference between the two are the originating viruses. COVID-19 generates from SARS-CoV-2, and the Flu generates from an Influenza virus. Another difference between the two is that COVID-19 is quickly mutating and changing, we don't have an understanding of it yet. While the strands of the Flu vary every year, we have an understanding about the infection and are able to predict those strands. This information being provided and understood, allows for it to be concluded that an influenza vaccine would be inefficient and unnecessary in preventing COVID-19.