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H1N1 INFLUENZA
Google has announced an online tool for tracking where to get vaccinations against H1N1 and seasonal influenza in the U.S. It has gone live at google.com/flushot and will soon be available on flu.gov and the American Lung Association website.
Reported cases of ILI in the Macalester community have slowed down somewhat this week; only 8 cases have been reported in the past 10 days. Community members are encouraged to not become complacent as the virus is still very active in the area and ups and downs in the number of reported cases is to be expected.
Faculty & Staff: Working Remotely-ITS has created a web site that provides tools for working remotely should you need to stay home - whether for self-isolation or care of an ill family member. http://www.macalester.edu/its/H1N1.html. If you have any questions regarding these tools or would like additional assistance in planning for ways to respond to a possible disruption in operation due to illness, please contact ITS directly.
As of this date, 163 Macalester community members have reported being ill with an ILI since mid-August. Once again, community members are reminded of the importance of hand washing, using hand sanitizer and cleaning public surfaces. If you have not yet gotten a seasonal influenza vaccination, you are encouraged to do so.
And if you develop symptoms of an influenza-like illness, you should stay isolated until 24 hours after your fever is gone (without the aid of fever-reducing medication). Not sure if you have influenza? Check out the CDC self-evaluation website. As always, please seek immediate medical attention if your symptoms worsen.
Influenza self-assessment: For help in determining whether or not you have influenza, we encourage you to take this self-assessment: www.flu.gov/evaluation.
If the assessment indicates you are likely to have the flu, please self-isolate by staying in your room or apartment and call the Health and Wellness Center (X6275). If you live in a residence hall, contact your hall director and the HD will help you arrange take-out food from Café Mac (via a meal request form). A roommate or friend can help get you your meals. Please contact the Student Affairs Office if you need other assistance or have questions (X6220).
48 cases of influenza-like illness have been report by Macalester community members to date. Seasonal influenza vaccinations are still available to students in the Health & Wellness Center - simply call to schedule an appointment. Faculty and staff are encouraged to get a seasonal influenza vaccination from their health care provider or one of the clinics offered in the community.
H1N1 vaccine has not yet been received by the Health & Wellness Center. Students will be notified if/when received.
For help in determining whether or not you have influenza, go to www.flu.gov/evaluation and
go through the self-evaluation option. As always, if your symptoms worsen or if you are feeling better and then start to worsen, please seek medical attention.
18 cases of influenza-like illness have been report by Macalester community members to date. Good personal health habits such as washing hands, using waterless hand sanitizer, wiping down work and personal areas with disinfectant and covering your cough have helped to keep ILI at a minimum thus far on campus.
Students and faculty/staff are encouraged to get a seasonal flu shot as soon as possible. Students can schedule an appointment with the Health & Wellness Center; faculty & staff should check with their provider or look at the MN Dept. of Health website that lists flu vaccination clinics. The WHAM sponsored clinic is scheduled 10/7/09 - details below. As of Wednesday, September 23, 2009, 16 cases of influenza-like illness have been reported by faculty, staff and students. The Mac Weekly wrote an article on the status and preparation of the College for H1N1 on Friday, September 18, 2009.
The first seasonal influenza flu shot clinic was held on Wednesday, September 16 on Bateman Plaza. Over 80 vaccinations were given. A second clinic was held on Wednesday, September 23 and over 150 vaccinations were given. More vaccine is on the way and future clinics are planned! Students who missed the first two clinics can call the HWC x6275 to schedule an individual appointment to get their seasonal influenza vaccination.ç
Faculty and staff can take advantage of the WHAM-sponsored seasonal flu vaccination clinic on October 7, 8:30 a.m. - noon in Weyerhaeuser Board Room. The cost is $24, free to Health Partners members. Because high demand is expected for this event, faculty and staff may wish to explore getting the vaccination from their own health care provider.
The Macalester Health & Wellness Center is still proceeding with the process to acquire H1N1 vaccine for students but no definitive answer as to whether the College will receive the vaccine has been determined. Students will be notified if/when the vaccine is available on campus.
Thursday, September 10, 2009Several cases of influenza-like illness have been reported by faculty and staff at Macalester and two suspected cases have been reported by students (now recovered). Students, staff and faculty are reminded to practice good personal and public health habits such as washing hands, using waterless hand sanitizer, wiping down shared and personal items such as computer keyboard/mouse, telephones, room doorknobs, faucets, etc.
If you develop influenza-like illness symptoms (fever with associated symptoms), please follow the protocol outlined in the letters sent to community members this week and stay home.
Macalester has been following the H1N1 influenza (formerly known as “swine flu”) concern closely. As you know, influenza, particularly H1N1, is expected to be wide-spread this year and to start earlier than the regular flu season (typically November – March). We expect that Macalester will not be immune from the virus and that a number of our community members will contract the illness.
Classes and other activities at Macalester will operate as scheduled this semester. We are monitoring the campus situation and in conjunction with the local health agencies, will make decisions regarding changes to regularly scheduled classes and campus activities on the basis of any flu outbreak. Any such decision will be communicated broadly to faculty, students, staff and parents through notices in the Daily Piper, mass emails and other communications.
Students will be receiving a letter in their Student Post Office mailbox this week, along with an email, that details what they should do to prepare for the possibility of H1N1 and what to so if they should become ill.
Download the letter
A similiar email communication has been sent to faculty and staff as well.
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