As the 2014 flu season approaches its peak, UA Campus Health Service officials prepare for the influx of students they will be seeing in their reception area.

Campus Health typically sees the most patients during flu season, which runs from October to January, said Terri West, administrative associate at Campus Health.

Common flu symptoms include headache, fever, fatigue, sore throat, cough, runny nose and body aches, said Ashley Colyer, a pharmacist at CVS. Students feeling any of these symptoms can visit Campus Health for a health assessment from medical staff on standby.

“Students have the opportunity to be seen by nurse practitioners, doctors or a wide variety of licensed physicians here at Campus Health,” West said. “We are a primary care facility that offers the highest quality of care for students when they walk into our center.”

Flu shots are currently available Monday through Friday from Campus Health for $17 without insurance and at the CVS on University Boulevard.

Sam Mitchell, a freshman pre-business student, said he wasn’t feeling well, but wasn’t concerned about having the flu.

“I’ve been feeling some severe cold symptoms,” Mitchell said.

The flu is a contagious respiratory illness caused by a virus, and it ranges from being a mild illness to a deadly one. The contagious nature of the flu makes college students especially vulnerable to contracting it.

“When you’re living in the dorms, if one person gets sick, everyone gets sick,” Mitchell said.

West said it’s important for students to be vaccinated against the flu to stay healthy.

“Every year, students should have a vaccine for the flu,” West said.

While it’s better to get a flu shot and avoid the illness altogether, Colyer said, there are still easy ways to treat the flu once it’s been contracted.

“There’s plenty of vaccines currently available for students,” Colyer said, “but if they do end up getting sick, they should stay home from school to get as much rest as possible, drink plenty of water and take over-the-counter medicine.”