Dear Students,
The Health Center received a very limited amount of H1N1 vaccine that will be administered at the Health Center on Wednesday, November 18, 2009 from 1 p.m. until 3 p.m. at the Health Center. More vaccine should be arriving shortly. The Health Center will announce when more vaccine arrives so please, do not contact the Health Center.
The vaccine will be given free of charge on a first-come, first-served basis. No vaccine doses will be reserved in advance. All persons receiving the vaccine will be required to sign a consent form. If you pre-registered for the vaccine on the Ohio Department of Health website, bring your form in hand when you arrive for the vaccine. Persons who pre-registered for the vaccine should have received a “unique” number.
If you experienced problems pre-registering for the vaccine try again and make sure every detail you furnish is exact. For example, if your date of birth is 5/2/90, you must enter the date as 05/02/1990. Even this small detail might make the difference in successfully registering for the vaccine. If you do not have a cell phone, enter another phone number in the space for another listing.
To be eligible for the vaccine you must be in a Tier 1 Priority Group as identified by the Centers for Disease Control. Tier 1 Priority Groups do include the age population of children 6 months through 24 years of age among other groups. Therefore, college age students are among the Tier 1 target group.
Two forms of the vaccine are available: Live, attenuated nasal spray (FluMist) and an inactivated “flu shot” version.
You should not get H1N1 Flu Mist if you have a severe (life-threatening) allergy to eggs or to any other substance in the vaccine. There are many restrictions to the administration of the vaccine. It can only be given to people between the ages of 2 to 49 years of age. People with weakened immune systems or long-term health problems such as asthma or diabetes (among others) cannot receive this vaccine. Pregnant women also cannot receive this vaccine. If you are moderately or severely ill, you should wait before receiving the vaccine. If you have a mild cold, you may still receive the vaccine. Full information about the vaccine and restrictions will be available at the clinic.
You should not get the H1N1 Flu Shot if you have a severe (life-threatening) allergy to eggs, or any other substance in the vaccine. If you are moderately or severely ill, you might be advised to wait until you recover before getting the vaccine. If you have a mild cold or other illness, there is usually no need to wait. Full information about this vaccine and restrictions will be available at the clinic.
You do not need to wait to receive H1N1 vaccine if you recently received the “seasonal” flu vaccine with the exception that seasonal nasal “FluMist” and H1N1 nasal “FluMist”must be given one month apart.
To read the entire patient handout about H1N1 vaccines, H1N1 illness, the vaccine target population groups, restrictions, risks and possible reactions about the vaccine, go to: /StudentLife/health_center/Flu_Season_Preventative_Measures.aspx
The Health Center will close Wednesday at noon to prepare for the administration of the H1N1 vaccine at 1:00 p.m. Patients who are ill or injured will only be seen that morning.
Seasonal flu vaccine will not protect people from the H1N1 flu, but it will provide them with protection from the seasonal flu that usually causes illness during the fall and winter. As vaccine for the H1N1 flu becomes available we inform students, faculty and staff if we will be able to make arrangements on campus for an immunization clinic to administer the vaccine.
Current guidelines set by the Center for Disease Control’s (CDC) Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices recommends targeting specific groups as the vaccine becomes available. According to the CDC, among those groups are pregnant women, people who live with or take care of children younger than 6 months of age, healthcare and emergency workers, persons between the ages of 6 months and 24 years old, and people ages of 25 through 64 years of age who are at higher risk for contracting the illness because of chronic health disorders or compromised immune system.
The CDC anticipates vaccine supply and demand will be unpredictable and guidelines could be altered until the supply is adequate.
People can take simple measures that can help to stop the spread of flu on campus and in the community. The CDC recommends the following tips:
· Cover your nose and mouth with a tissue when you cough or sneeze. Throw the tissue in the trash after you use it.
· Wash your hands often with soap and water, especially after you cough or sneeze. Alcohol-based hand cleansers are also effective.
· Avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth. Germs spread that way.
· If you become ill, limit your contact with others to keep from infecting them.
In an effort to prevent the spread of flu on campus the Health Center staff has taken the following steps:
We have posted flyers in residence halls and in academic buildings to remind people to cover their coughs and wash their hands.
We have posted flyers at the entrance of the Health Center indicating to patients they should let the medical staff know at once if they have flu symptoms.
We are encouraging students to seek medical care during the early onset of their illness.
We appreciate your efforts to help us maintain a healthy campus.
For more information about seasonal flu and the H1N1 flu, visit the CDC website at www.cdc.gov.
Thank you,
The Health Center Staff