Athletes aren’t immune to the flu

MISSISSIPPI STATE, Miss. (WCBI)- The flu season doesn’t discriminate. In fact, some of your favorite athletes take preventative measures as well.

We spoke with Mary McLendon, who oversees sports medicine and performance at Mississippi State, and she says the flu can spread quickly throughout teams.

Although no outbreaks have occurred this semester, McLendon believes wear and tear on athlete’s bodies can sometimes lead to susceptibility.

MSU athletes are not forced to get vaccinated; however, they are strongly encouraged to do so because of exposure purposes.

“It’s something that we provide free of cost for them because we feel it’s so important. We will set it up for the teams to get it as a group. Usually, you need to take a day off afterwards, and so we’ll try and set it up as a team, bring someone over here, or bring the teams over to the student health center on campus to do that for them,” said McLendon.

McLendon says a balanced diet, a lot of hydration, and plenty of rest can help prevent the flu as well.