U. prepares to vaccinate 2,000 against H1N1

The University is preparing to vaccinate up to 2,000 individuals against the H1N1 flu this Monday and has already vaccinated roughly 400 students and student dependents in the highest health priority group over the last two weeks.

Because the state distributes limited doses of the vaccine in staggered shipments, the University is not able provide vaccinations to all eligible groups during the same time period, University spokeswoman Emily Aronson said in an e-mail on Friday.

"Individuals in the eligible health priority groups who do not get vaccinated at the Nov. 16 clinic would be eligible to receive the vaccine at the next clinic," she said, adding that "scheduling of the next vaccine clinic is dependent on more information from the state about when further vaccine shipments may be distributed."

All students and dependents between ages 16 and 24, students or dependents who are pregnant, and students between ages 25 and 64 with pre-existing medical conditions are encouraged to get vaccinated this Monday in Multipurpose Room B of the Frist Campus Center.

Priority for administering the vaccine in the past two weeks was given to students under age 24 with pre-existing medical conditions that put them at higher risk for complications from the flu, to health care workers from University Health Services, to emergency responders from Public Safety who transport sick students to and from the McCosh Health Center, to pregnant students or student dependents that are pregnant, and to students who are caregivers of babies less than six months old.

“The remainder of faculty and staff may contact their personal physicians or a local health department to determine how and when they may receive the H1N1 vaccine from other providers,” University Health Services officials said in an e-mail to the University community on Nov. 12. “The University must await more information about state vaccine distribution plans to determine whether it will be able to offer the vaccine to faculty and staff as the vaccine becomes more widely available.”

Though the federal government is providing the vaccine for free, students who are not on the student health plan will be charged a “nominal fee of $15 to cover the administrative costs,” according to the e-mail.

Since Aug. 30, University Health Services has identified a total of 593 cases of influenza-like illness, up 11.5 percent from the 532 total cases identified as of Oct. 30, Aronson said. There have been 13 self-reported active cases in the last 72 hours.