The flight of flu season is almost over.

Beverly Espe, the assistant director of Health Services said the department will soon stop administering flu vaccines for the season. But Espe offered advice for all to combat the cold and flu.

“You need to keep yourself healthy,” Espe said. “Eating healthy, getting plenty of rest, alleviating stress whenever possible, taking vitamins and supplements – all these things boost the immune system.”

Espe said vitamins and supplements help because many people don’t eat as healthy as they should.

“The vitamins that are in foods strengthen our immune system. We eat to stay healthy and live,” Espe said.

Espe said another way to stave off cold and flu is to avoid “close contact” with people who are sick and by washing hands.

“Washing your hands is the number one prevention for many diseases, particularly for the cold and flu,” Espe said.

Rachel Rossi, a senior general studies major, takes most of those steps to stay healthy.

“I try to take vitamins, especially Vitamin C. I make sure I wash my hands, I try not to have a lot of hand-to-mouth contact and I bundle up,” Rossi said. “I [also] exercise, so I find that boosts my immune system a little bit.”

Rossi said while she has healthy snacks and drinks lots of fluids, she still does not have exemplary eating habits.

“Now that school has started, I try to eat twice a day,” Rossi said. “My eating habits aren’t the greatest in the world.”

Kelly Manalo, a senior journalism major, admitted that he does not take vitamins or supplements, but said that he dresses warm and tries to exercise “as much as possible.” He also said since he was diagnosed with diabetes, he has improved his eating habits.

“I try to stay away from fast foods, and I try to eat a lot of salads and small sandwiches,” Manalo said.

Espe also said students should stay away from antibiotics.

“Antibiotics do not cure viruses and they could cause more problems in relationship to building antibiotic resistance,” he said.