Gators moms can rest easy this flu season thanks to Florida Flu Kits.
The Student Health Care Center will be selling care packages for the first time this flu season at the SHCC Pharmacy. Each kit will include the basic items necessary for recovering from the flu, said SHCC marketing coordinator Katherine Lindsey.
- 1 can of chicken noodle soup
- 1 bottle of Gatorade
- 1 bottle of ibuprofen
- 1 pack of throat lozenges
- 1 bottle of hand sanitizer
- 1 box of tissues
- 5 disposable face masks
- 1 digital thermometer
"These kits are intended to educate students on how to take care of themselves," Lindsey said. "With the recent scare of swine flu and the large numbers of students getting sick, we just wanted to do something for the kids this flu season."
Laura Mize, SHCC marketing coordinator, said it is especially difficult for students living in the dorms to take care of themselves because the close-quartered living situations make it more likely for them to get the flu.
"I remember getting sick for the first time and living in the dorms when I was a freshman in college and thinking, 'My mom isn't here to buy me soup and Gatorade-this sucks,'" Mize said.
Mize said 500 kits have been assembled so far, and if the flu kits are sold quickly the SHCC may consider buying additional supplies to create more packages to be sold this flu season and may have these kits available yearly.
Lindsey said the SHCC is charging students the exact amount to cover the costs of supplies included in the kits and are not making a profit from the kits.
"We really want these kits to be just another outreach effort to the kids like other programs like GatorWell available on campus," Lindsey said. "We are able to provide a large amount of supplies in the kits for the price because we bought the items in bulk, and UF is able to get a discount. So it's cheaper to purchase the flu kit than to purchase all the items separately."
