COLLEGE CREDIT for FLU JAB??

A college professor is giving extra credit to students for getting the flu jab. Yep, you read that right. Welcome to the upside-down, where your GPA can get a boost for becoming a human pin cushion.

Friends,

A concerned mom reached out to me with this wild tale, and I just had to share it.

Her daughter was offered extra credit in class—oh, not for turning in stellar work or participating in meaningful discussions, but for a laundry list of activities, including getting the flu shot. You know, because nothing screams “educational merit” like medical coercion.

In my video above, I share the back-and-forth exchange I had with this mom, anonymously, of course— and I’ll also include it below.

Here’s the email the mom sent me:

"Peggy, I love your content! I thought of you immediately when my daughter sent me this strange extra credit opportunity from her professor at Texas State University. Each item is worth 10 points of extra credit. Here’s the list:

1. Register to vote

2. Get a flu shot

3. Provide the results of a lipid panel

4. Volunteer for a food drive

I mean, seriously? What does any of this have to do with her class? My daughter’s studying pre-nursing and this seems bizarre at best. I need some of your witty advice to respond to this. Thankfully, my daughter knew this looked odd and shared it with me."

So, yeah, “bizarre” is putting it lightly. I wrote back to the mom, and I’ll share my exact words because I think it’s a strategy anyone can use. Here’s what I said:

“Whoa, that is crazy—especially in Texas, no?! Which class is this for? Are any of these things even remotely related to the subject matter? These requirements seem very arbitrary and strange.”

Notice how I didn’t fly off the handle right away? Sometimes, it’s better to ask questions and engage in dialogue. That’s exactly what I recommend to the students, too. If I were a student in this class, I’d approach the professor with questions like:

• How did you come up with this list?

• Why did you choose these activities?

• Do you really think these are relevant?

It’s a way to keep the conversation going without immediately shutting it down.

The mom responded quickly, explaining that her daughter’s in a “consumer health” class, which is required for her major in public health. Oh boy. You know how I feel about “public health.” She went on to say the professor is a liberal woman about our age who’s very into, shall we say, certain rights on campus.

Her daughter was hoping to write something to the professor explaining that her health information—like vaccine status and lipid panel results—is none of her business.

Bingo! That’s exactly where I would go with this. Your personal health info is not up for grabs, and no professor should be able to coerce students into sharing it for a few measly extra credit points.

I told the mom that her daughter should propose getting extra credit for researching the ineffectiveness of the flu jab and focusing on its side effects. Now that would be a project worth doing, don’t you think?

Has anyone else encountered something like this? I’d love to hear your stories. Drop them in the comments or email me at support@TheHealthyAmerican.org.