As measles cases are on the rise across North Carolina, WCU Health Services says there are no reported cases on campus. COVID-19 is now recognized as a regular respiratory illness, is not being tracked by health officials. Students are urged to wash their hands to minimize the spread of illness.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services websites show an uptick in measles cases all over the USA, and 13 cases in North Carolina recently, but the Director of Health Services, Pam Buchanan, says we have no one on campus or in Jackson County with the measles.
“If there were to be a positive case in the WCU community, we would follow the guidance of the Jackson County Department of Public Health and the NC state epidemiologist regarding contract tracing and notifications. The best way to prevent measles is to be vaccinated against measles,” Buchanan said in an email sent to WCU’s community, updating them on measles vaccine resources.
The Health Center in the Bird Building offers the MMR vaccine for any student who has not been vaccinated with both MMR vaccines.
“The WCU Health Center has access to more vaccines if they are needed. The Health Center continues to monitor the measles numbers daily to be sure their information is up to date,” Buchanan said. She added that the email sent to students, staff and faculty at the start of the semester was to urge them to make sure that their immunizations were up to date, including the 2 MMR vaccines.
Buchanan stated that the most common illnesses treated on campus are upper respiratory infections, which typically increase in the fall due to the change in temperatures and seasonal allergies.
New students, Buchanan said, are the most vulnerable to unfamiliar allergens in the region, and allergy symptoms can often resemble the symptoms of the common cold.
Students will continue to see these symptoms until Spring Break, and students can combat sickness with Vitamin D.
Buchanan mentioned that this was the pattern of respiratory illnesses seen in the community in the years prior to the COVID pandemic as well, and described how these viruses survive better in cold, dry environments, particularly in winter when large Holiday gatherings cause people to travel in close groups, social contacts increase, and school is in session. She said the number of cases in the college community returned to the same numbers of illnesses the rest of the state experienced after around the third week of classes. She also noted that when the rest of the US has a worse influenza epidemic, the numbers of cases on campus follow that course.
Buchanan explained that they are no longer tracking COVID -19 infections. They are treated like influenza, an upper respiratory infection or the common cold. “It is now just part of the family of respiratory illnesses, and is treated, tracked and contained as such. Meaning all the normal respiratory precautions – wash your hands, stay away from others if you have fever, get vaccinated, avoid contact with others that are sick and stay home if you are sick are the main strategies to prevent yourself from getting a respiratory illness and to keep it from spreading to others,” suggested Buchanan.
The NC Department of Health and Human Services provides an NC Respiratory Virus Summary Dashboard that began in the 2024-2025 illness season. This current dashboard shows that the cases of Total Respiratory illnesses responsible for Emergency Room visits are higher than Influenza-like, COVID-like and RSV-like illnesses right now. The overall numbers of respiratory illnesses are reduced from the number of cases in December of 2025. You can check the current numbers for Covid infections at NCDHHS dashboard.
The Department of Health Services partnered with Mark’s Pharmacy in the Fall of 2025 and provided vaccines to students, faculty, staff, and their dependents for the current predicted strain of influenza and Covid-19.
Students are encouraged to monitor themselves for symptoms, particularly if they think they have been exposed to either virus, and call WCU Health Services at 828-227-7640 for any questions regarding symptoms.
Check the WCU Public Health Alerts page for updates.
