WUSTL offering H1N1 vaccine for faculty, staff and students, Feb. 4
Frequently Asked Questions: |
Jan. 25, 2010 — Washington University will offer a free H1N1 vaccine clinic (injectable only) for current Washington University faculty, staff and students from 10 a.m. - 3 p.m. Feb. 4 at the Danforth Campus in the Mallinckrodt Student Center's Lower Level Food Court seating area.
Current plans call for the Feb. 4 clinic to be the last large-scale, open walk-in H1N1 vaccine clinic offered on campus.
The vaccinations will be given on a first-come, first-served basis. Current WUSTL faculty, staff or students must present their Washington University ID and employee/student number to receive a vaccine.
Anyone wishing to receive a vaccine must fill out two forms, both of which will be available on site — a consent form from the St. Louis County Health Department and a Washington University Screening Tool. Those wishing to fill out the WUSTL screening tool/permission form before arriving at the clinic may download a copy of the form (.doc).
The St. Louis County Health Department also is making H1N1 vaccine available free to county residents during business hours Monday-through-Friday at walk-in clinics located at North Central Community Health Center, 4000 Jennings Station Road, Pine Lawn, Mo,; and at South County Health Center, 4580 South Lindbergh Boulevard, Sunset Hills, Mo. For more specifics on clinic locations, hours of operation and requirements, please visit: http://www.stlouisco.com/doh/flu/Vaccine_H1N1.html.
The inactivated injection form of the vaccine will be available to all Washington University faculty, staff and students; however, Washington University infectious disease specialists strongly suggest that those in the highest-risk groups be vaccinated.
Those risk groups include:
- pregnant women
- persons who live with or provide care for children under 6 months of age, such as parents, siblings and day-care providers
- health-care and emergency medical services personnel
- children ages 6 months to 24 years
- persons from ages 25–64 who are at higher risk for influenza complications because of chronic health disorders, including asthma, or compromised immune systems.
People with a severe, life-threatening allergy to eggs or any other substance in the vaccine should not get the 2009 H1N1 vaccine.
This site will feature more information about upcoming clinics in January on the Danforth and Medical campuses.
General Update: WUSTL seeing only one or two new flu cases most days
Although the infection rate has dwindled over the last month, Washington University in St. Louis continues to experience a small number of new cases of presumed Influenza A. All students confirmed with flu have been recuperating from the illness while in self-isolation and returning to normal schedules with few complications.
Washington University is monitoring the situation closely. All classes and campus activities are currently proceeding as scheduled.
Washington University is in the process of vaccinating faculty, students and staff in the highest risk groups. Details on a broader availability of 2009 H1N1 flu vaccine will be posted as new supplies become available.
Meanwhile, several city and county health departments in the St. Louis region are beginning to offer free 2009 H1N1 flu vaccines to high-risk residents on a limited, first-come, first-served basis at a series of vaccine clinics at sites throughout the community.
More information on the St. Louis County flu vaccine clinics is available at http://www.SaintLouisCountyFlu.com. Information on other health departments offering free 2009 H1N1 flu vaccine clinics in counties across Missouri is available at http://www.fighttheflumo.com/contact.html.
The University has been offering seasonal flu vaccines to its students. Details on season flu vaccine clinics for Danforth Campus students are available on the University Student Health Services web site (http://shs.wustl.edu/). Medical student flu vaccine clinics are detailed on the School of Medicine Student Health Service web site (http://wusmhealth.wustl.edu/).
The seasonal flu vaccine is not expected to protect against the 2009 H1N1 flu. Similarly, the 2009 H1N1 influenza vaccine will not protect against seasonal influenza. For this reason, seasonal flu vaccine continues to be recommended for health-care workers and individuals at highest risk of complications from seasonal influenza.
The 2009 H1N1 vaccine is being made available based on CDC recommendations, with initial supplies going first to people identified to be at highest risk of flu complications and to certain caregivers.
Because the 2009 H1N1 flu vaccine is an FDA-approved product using the same facilities, materials and technologies used to make the annual seasonal flu vaccines, it is believed that the safety profile is similar to seasonal flu vaccine.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved the use of one dose of 2009 H1N1 flu vaccine for persons 10 years old and older. The vaccine can be administered at the same time as other vaccines.
The 2009 H1N1 flu vaccine is available in an inactivated injection and a live form in a nasal spray. The nasal spray is licensed for people from age 2–49 who are not pregnant and do not have certain health conditions, including asthma and diabetes.
In addition to vaccination, other ways to prevent all forms of the flu are getting proper rest, nutrition and exercise; regularly washing hands with soap and water, especially after coughing or sneezing, or using alcohol-based hand sanitizers; covering the mouth or nose with a tissue when sneezing or coughing; coughing or sneezing into the elbow or upper arm; and avoiding touching the eyes, nose and mouth.
It is important for all people who are sick with flu-like symptoms to stay home and recover — this will help to reduce the spread of infection. Those with suspected or confirmed flu should not return to class or work until they have been free of fever for 24 hours without the aid of fever-reducing medications. Symptoms usually last a few days to a week.
Common symptoms of 2009 H1N1 influenza are similar to those of seasonal influenza and include fever, cough, sore throat, body aches, headache, chills and fatigue. Treatment is the same and includes over-the-counter medications to treat flu symptoms and, in some instances, prescription anti-viral medications to reduce the severity of the flu. The great majority of 2009 H1N1 flu cases in the United States have been mild and have not required hospitalization.
The CDC does not recommend that universities cancel classes or large events to contain the 2009 H1N1 unless the disease becomes severe and widespread.
Washington University will continue to update this web site as more information becomes available. The web site also includes information about flu prevention and treatment.
For the latest information on 2009 H1N1, please visit the CDC web site at http://www.cdc.gov/H1N1FLU.