With cold and flu season underway, and only about two-thirds of the flu vaccine expected to be available nationally, Olin Health Center officials are scurrying to provide this year's cold and flu kits.

Jon Kermiet, an Olin Health Educator, said students will need to pay more attention to their hygiene practices this year to prevent sickness because the flu shot will not be made available to them.

According to the 2004 National College Health Assessment, 82.3 percent of students contracted the cold or flu. Of that number, 26.6 percent of students reported the illnesses affected their academic life.

"The problem with the residence halls is the confined environment, which allows the spreading of the flu just because of the close quarters," Kermiet said. "It can partially be prevented by being careful about what you touch and how you come in contact with other people."

More than 7,000 kits are being prepared and are expected to be distributed starting Monday. Four thousand of the kits will be sent to the residence halls to be distributed by hall managers.

Kermiet said he will encourage managers to give some to mentors and pass out kits at the hall desk.

Literature about the flu vaccine shortage, and how to distinguish flu symptoms from meningitis symptoms is included in the kits.

Health education is the primary goal of the Olin kits - including how to stay healthy and the slim chances of students getting a flu vaccine.

Dean Sienko, Ingham County Health Department medical director, said he encourages people to examine their hygiene habits and follow healthy sleep and nutrition patterns in light of the vaccine shortage.

Comfort items such as tea bags and cough drops will be in the kits in addition to preventive components such as hand sanitizer.

"They went like hotcakes last year and I assume the same will happen this year," Kermiet said. "We probably could distribute twice as many if we had the ability to produce them."

Kermiet said he anticipates a large demand for the kits because of the flu vaccine shortage.

Only the young, elderly, pregnant, health professionals and people with serious medical conditions are eligible for the flu vaccine. All people eligible for the vaccine are encouraged to receive the shot as soon as possible.

Nationally, the United States has 55 million doses, which is barely more than half the number of individuals considered at risk, Olin spokeswoman Kathi Braunlich said.

The university has its full order of the vaccine because Olin Health Center made an early order.

Other media reports said MSU would be giving its flu vaccines to the Ingham County Health Department, but Braunlich said there are no plans to do so.