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If the flu runs rampant across the U.S. this winter, there will be fewer cases in the Twin Cities. On Oct. 28, the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis-St. Paul topped the Guinness World Record for the largest number of flu vaccines administered in one day.

The previous record, 3,271, was set Nov. 9, 2006, by Florida (Sanford) Hospital Centra Care. The new record, set at the University of Minnesota's Twin Cities campus, is 11,810. The U of M offered free flu vaccines to all university students, staff, and family during a nine-hour period. Four campus walk-in sites administered the vaccine.

Karen Strauman-Raymond, RN, PHN, MPH, MHA, director of nursing at the university's Boynton Health Service, was the team leader at the St. Paul location. The team administered 2,016 vaccines at her site alone. The site with the largest number of vaccines administered was the Northrop clinic site in Minneapolis at 3,956.

"This was truly a public health event," says Strauman-Raymond. "Nursing played a huge part in it." She says the event was a joint effort by Boynton Health Service, volunteers from the university's Medical Reserve Corps, students and staff from the school of nursing and college of pharmacy, and nurses from the Minnesota Visiting Nurses Association.

According to Strauman-Raymond, the St. Paul site saw a steady line all day, with no one waiting longer than 10 minutes to receive the vaccine. The nasal-spray and injectable forms of the flu vaccine were offered. She says the four locations kept running tallies of their numbers. Updated numbers were announced at each site.

"It was fun to be involved with setting the world record," says Strauman-Raymond. "I saw a lot of young people become educated and wanting to be a part of keeping the community healthy."

Mary Carroll, RN, MPH, nursing director of the flu vaccination program for the Minnesota Visiting Nurses Association, says the VNA had at least 32 nurses at the event.

"We were fortunate to partner with the University of Minnesota to target the student population as well as the employees of the University of Minnesota," says Carroll. She notes U of M staged a miracle by implementing a one-day event that maintained vaccine safety, secured enough vaccinators, and focused on clinical competency.

Dave Golden, director of public health and communications at Boynton Health Service, says the vaccine event served a two-fold purpose. The first was to increase the number of flu shots given on campus. The second was to test the university's ability to vaccinate a large population in a short amount of time. Golden says they had enough vaccine and supplies for 20,000. The university now is confident in their ability to accommodate an emergency inoculation, he says.

Strauman-Raymond says the university's enthusiasm to break the record was spurred by an Oct. 21 event at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn., when Mayo gave out 7,401 flu vaccines. Bryan Anderson, a spokesperson for Mayo Clinic, says Mayo was not trying to set a record. But they were aware of the University of Minnesota's planned event.

"We expect the record to be broken many times over by medical centers across the country," says Anderson. "Getting people vaccinated, especially children, at-risk adults, and healthcare workers, is important."

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Rita Marie Barsella, RN, BSN, MSJ, is a freelance writer. To comment, e-mail editorHTL@nurseweek.com.