H1N1 vaccine on its way to campus
Students, faculty to receive notification when supplies arrive, official says
McLean Bennett
Issue date: 10/29/09 Section: Campus News
A health official at the Student Health Services office said she expects the university will soon be able to offer H1N1 flu vaccinations to students who want them.
The university has given about 220 vaccinations to health care providers - including some faculty, staff and certain nursing students - but not to general students, said Laura Chellman, director of Student Health Services.
Chellman and Richard Thoune, director of the Eau Claire City-County Health Department, said it has been standard procedure to offer vaccinations to health care providers before offering them to the general public. Thoune said health care providers are being vaccinated against the virus now, during what he called "Phase 1" of the vaccination process. He said "Phase 2," when more people will have access to the vaccine, should start up soon.
Chellman said she will notify students and faculty when and where they can get vaccines on campus as soon as she gets supplies.
"I'm not going to announce anything until I know I'm getting some," Chellman said.
She explained that she ordered 1,000 vaccine doses last week but noted that "just because you order 1,000 doesn't mean you're going to get 1,000."
"You get what they can give you because they're trying to divide it out amongst everyone who's wanting the vaccine," Chellman said.
She said high demand for vaccines for the H1N1 flu has slowed supply of the vaccine.
Thoune said people shouldn't hesitate to get vaccinated once supplies become available, explaining that the vaccine is produced in the same facilities and using the same procedure that is used to produce seasonal flu vaccines.
"I don't think there's any reason to assume that there's anything more unsafe about H1N1 vaccines than seasonal flu," Thoune said.
People between the ages of 6 months and 24-years-old are among those who should receive the vaccines as soon as possible, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Web site.
The university has given about 220 vaccinations to health care providers - including some faculty, staff and certain nursing students - but not to general students, said Laura Chellman, director of Student Health Services.
Chellman and Richard Thoune, director of the Eau Claire City-County Health Department, said it has been standard procedure to offer vaccinations to health care providers before offering them to the general public. Thoune said health care providers are being vaccinated against the virus now, during what he called "Phase 1" of the vaccination process. He said "Phase 2," when more people will have access to the vaccine, should start up soon.
Chellman said she will notify students and faculty when and where they can get vaccines on campus as soon as she gets supplies.
"I'm not going to announce anything until I know I'm getting some," Chellman said.
She explained that she ordered 1,000 vaccine doses last week but noted that "just because you order 1,000 doesn't mean you're going to get 1,000."
"You get what they can give you because they're trying to divide it out amongst everyone who's wanting the vaccine," Chellman said.
She said high demand for vaccines for the H1N1 flu has slowed supply of the vaccine.
Thoune said people shouldn't hesitate to get vaccinated once supplies become available, explaining that the vaccine is produced in the same facilities and using the same procedure that is used to produce seasonal flu vaccines.
"I don't think there's any reason to assume that there's anything more unsafe about H1N1 vaccines than seasonal flu," Thoune said.
People between the ages of 6 months and 24-years-old are among those who should receive the vaccines as soon as possible, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Web site.
Viewing Comments 1 - 2 of 3
Ron Amerson
posted 10/29/09 @ 9:35 PM CST
Please: Quit panicking over this flu bug.
According to the World Health Organization, there have been 5,000 deaths in the world from this H1N1 virus! (Out of how many people in the world?) Of that, 1,000 are in America. (Continued…)
Matt
posted 10/30/09 @ 1:00 AM CST
I bet Obama created H1N1 to force socialized medicine on us!
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