About Us our services appointments Health Resources emergencies

Our Services

H1N1 Update

Community Announcement
H1N1 Update
November 10, 2009

Dear Students,

The student health service has vaccinated more than five hundred students with the H1N1 vaccine. We have plenty of vaccine and we encourage all students to get vaccinated and protect themselves and our community from H1N1 flu. Please call the Health Service at 758-7433 and schedule an appointment for your vaccine and /or get information about our next Flu Clinic.

The CDC is expecting the H1N1 flu to continue in waves throughout the winter and spring months. The CDC is also recommending that students get the H1N1 vaccine even if they have had the H1N1 flu unless it was “swab” lab test documented.

Although the majority of students who get sick with H1N1 fully recover, there are risks. We want to keep this virus away from our campus as much as possible.

The more students that get vaccinated, the more we protect our community. Do the socially responsible action and get vaccinated.

Thank you for all of your good humor in the face of the busy health service staff. It is a pleasure to serve all of you.

Marsha Davis FNP Director of Health Services
Barbara-Jean Briskey FNP Associate Director of Health Services

Community Announcement
H1N1 update 9-29-09

We write to update you on the status of the national and local H1N1 scene. According to the CDC and the New York State Department of Health, the H1N1 virus is increasing in New York State. The Northwest and Southeast remain the regions in the country with the highest number of cases. It is clear from surveillance, however, that the flu is moving into the Northeast in greater numbers.

We have only had a few isolated cases of H1N1 flu on campus since May of last semester. The students who had documented H1N1 flu have all fully recovered. There has not been a cluster or wave of cases. Treatment included bed rest, pushing fluids, and the use of over-the-counter fever reducer (NOT aspirin due to serious risk of Reyes Syndrome) as recommended by the CDC.

Based on CDC and New York Department of Health Guidelines, we are asking that all students who have an ILI (influenza like illness) leave campus for the duration of their illness when possible. Students who live relatively close to campus (within a 6 hour radius) should have family members take them home to prevent the spread of the flu on campus. No family members of the students we sent home with H1N1 acquired the illness. Contagion is much more likely in a residence hall setting. If leaving campus is not possible, students will be provided with alternative housing accommodations in a residence hall set aside for ill students. In the event that a large number of student cases occur at a rate that does not allow for alternative housing, the CDC and New York State Department of Health recommend that “students in a shared room should maintain a 6 foot separation to the degree possible” and both should practice strict hygienic precautions and that the ill student should wear a surgical mask.

We would like to reassure anxious and worried members of the Bard community, well or ill, that we are confronting a flu virus that is behaving like a seasonal flu. A large number of viruses, not flu, are currently circulating on campus. The most recurring illness on campus is an upper respiratory virus (the common cold). The hallmark of the flu that distinguishes itself from the common cold is a high fever (usually greater than 101°F) along with the body aches and dry cough. All students should have a thermometer and be able to monitor their temperatures. Students with fever (greater than 100F or 37.8C) should make an appointment to be seen at Health Services.

*The seasonal flu vaccine is already available to students at the Health Service.* Faculty, staff, and students are welcome to get the seasonal flu vaccine at several flu clinics to be announced and held in October and November.

The H1N1 vaccine has been approved by the CDC with an estimated distribution date set by the New York State Department of Health for mid-October. Students will be informed via e-mail as soon as the H1N1 vaccine is available. We strongly recommend students get the H1N1 vaccine as well as the seasonal flu vaccine.

Getting the vaccination for the H1N1 virus is taking a socially responsible action for the community. Mass vaccination, called herd immunity in public health, limits exposure of the virus to our most at risk populations (over 65, younger than 5, pregnant women, folks with diabetes, asthma, and other health conditions). The vaccine does not just protect you, it protects our community.

Let’s keep the community safe - get the vaccine as soon as it is available.

Marsha Davis, FNP, Director of Health Service
Barbara Jean Briskey, FNP, Associate Director

For More Information about Novel H1N1 (Swine Flu):
http://www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu/general_info.htm

H1N1 Flu FAQs

What is H1N1 influenza?

H1N1 influenza is a respiratory disease caused by the type A influenza virus that regularly causes outbreaks of influenza in pigs. H1N1 influenza viruses cause high levels of illness and low death rates in pigs. H1N1 influenza viruses may circulate among swine throughout the year, but most outbreaks occur during the late fall and winter months similar to outbreaks in humans. The classical "swine flu" virus (an influenza type A H1N1 virus) was first isolated from a pig in 1930.

What are the symptoms of H1N1 influenza in humans?

The symptoms of H1N1 influenza in people are expected to be similar to the symptoms of regular human seasonal influenza and include fever, lethargy, lack of appetite, and coughing. Some people with H1N1 influenza also have reported runny nose, sore throat, nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea.

What should I do if I exhibit any flu-like symptoms?

If you experience any of the flu-like symptoms listed above, students should contact Health Services, while facultyand staff should contact their primary care clinician immediately.

What can I do to stay healthy?

• Practice good hygiene. Wash your hands often with soap and water, especially after you cough or sneeze. Alcohol-based hands cleaners are also effective.
• Cover your nose and mouth with a tissue when you cough or sneeze. Throw the tissue in the trash after you use it.
• Avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth. Germs spread that way.
• Try to avoid close contact with sick people.
Influenza is thought to spread mainly person-to-person through coughing or sneezing of infected people.
If you get sick, make an appointment with your clinician.

I had a flu shot this year. Will that protect me from the H1N1 flu virus?

No. The H1N1 flu viruses are antigenically very different from human H1N1 viruses and, therefore, vaccines for human seasonal flu would not provide protection from H1N1 flu viruses.

Should I wear a face mask?

Surgical masks are only necessary if you are have been diagnosed with the flu or are caring for someone who is ill.

Can people catch H1N1 influenza from eating pork?

No. The H1N1 flu virus is not transmitted by food; you cannot get it from eating pork or pork products. Eating properly handled and cooked pork and pork products is safe. Cooking pork to an internal temperature of 160°F kills the virus as it does other bacteria and viruses.

How does the H1N1 flu virus spread?

Now that it has made the leap to humans, this strain of flu seems to be transmitted like any strain of human influenza, which is mainly person-to-person transmission through coughing or sneezing of people infected with the influenza virus.

How can human infections with H1N1 influenza be diagnosed?

To diagnose H1N1 infection, a respiratory specimen would generally need to be collected within the first 4 to 5 days of illness (when an infected person is most likely to be shedding virus). However, some persons, especially children, may shed virus for 10 days or longer. Identification as a H1N1 influenza virus requires sending the specimen to the Department of Public Health for laboratory testing.

What medications are available to treat H1N1 viral infections in humans?

Antiviral medications are known to shorten the illness and are recommended for people with underlying chronic illnesses or people with severe symptoms. At this time, CDC recommends the use of oseltamivir or zanamivir for the treatment infection with H1N1 influenza viruses.

Should I cancel or postpone my travel plans?

Updated travel notices are available from the CDC at http://wwwn.cdc.gov/travel/.

For More Information about Novel H1N1 (Swine Flu):
http://www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu/general_info.htm

Robbins House Annex Phone: 845-758-7433 Fax: 845-758-7437 E-mail: healthservice@bard.edu
Emergencies: on campus call ext. 7777 or go to Northern Dutchess Hospital Emergency Room
Hours: Monday-Tuesday-Wednesday-Friday, 9:00 am – 5:00 pm; Thursday, 9:00 am – 7:00 pm