“There’s no question that if you get the flu, you aren’t going to die,” said David S. Rosenthal ’59, director of UHS. “But it is still debilitating, and missing three to five days of classes is a severe disability. That’s what we want to prevent.”

Influenza is spread via moisture droplets, such as through hand contact or sharing computer keyboards.

Among Harvard students, a relatively low vaccination rate can provide a positive payoff, thanks to “herd immunity.”

“If we can vaccinate 30-50 percent, the group that doesn’t get vaccinated is protected by the group that gets vaccinated,” Coley said, explaining that if more students are vaccinated, there are fewer students who can transmit the flu to others.

UHS will be offering free flu shots for students in assorted dining halls, beginning Nov. 7. The schedule is available at www.uhs.harvard.edu.

—Staff writer Arianne R. Cohen can be reached at cohen7@fas.harvard.edu.