Free H1N1 Vaccination Clinic for High Risk Students

EMCC will hold an H1N1 clinic on Thursday, November 19 from 11am - 2 pm in Johnston Gym for students who are in a high risk category. Because supplies are limited, the vaccine will be administered according to the following priority basis:

• Priority 1: Pregnant women
• Priority 2: Residential students with one of the following underlying medical conditions: asthma, diabetes, HIV, cancer, chronic heart condition requiring medication, other immunosuppressive disease
• Priority 3: Commuter students under the age of 25 with one of the same underlying medical conditions listed in Priority 2
• Priority 4: Commuter students under the age of 25 in an allied health major whose coursework includes rotations in a medical facility

You must register for the clinic in advance by calling 974-4604. The day of the clinic, you must bring your student ID or other photo ID.

Status Update: H1N1 Flu Update

Eastern Maine Community College will provide a weekly report on the potential presence of H1N1 flu on its campuses. This report will reflect the number of students, faculty and staff who are currently absent due to flu-like symptoms (fever of 100 or more, sore throat and/or cough) as well as a cumulative total number of people who have reported flu-like symptoms since the start of the 2009 fall semester.

Weekly Report: Friday, November 13

* Since the health care system and the Maine CDC don’t test every individual displaying flu-like symptoms due to resource constraints, the number of confirmed cases is much lower than the actual number of those with flu-like symptoms. However, while there are currently no confirmed cases of H1N1 on campus, it is assumed that individuals with flu symptoms prior to the start of flu season are ill with H1N1.

H1N1 (Swine) Flu Information Board

With students returning to school this fall, a second wave of H1N1 (swine flu) is anticipated with potentially more people affected. While flu is unpredictable, the widespread occurrence of H1N1 flu in summer camps suggests that the group setting of contained classrooms, sustained interaction, residential life and young population are positive factors for a resurgence.

The Centers for Disease Control has provided schools with prevention and containment practices and is urging schools to prepare. The Maine and US CDC was the College’s resource in preparing the following information and plans (www.maineflu.gov, www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu/, www.flu.gov) The plans are responsive to conditions; if an outbreak occurs and is severe, plans will likely be revised.

Symptoms

While H1N1 flu is often accompanied by a range of symptoms including headache, diarrhea, vomiting and body ache, the following symptoms are the key indicators:

• Fever
• Cough and/or sore throat

Transmission

Unlike the typical seasonal flu in which the elderly are highly vulnerable, the young (ages 6 months to 25 years) and pregnant women are most vulnerable to H1N1 flu. College campuses and schools are breeding grounds, therefore, for H1N1 flu.

The virus is spread by the broadcast of germs when an infected person sneezes, coughs or transfers germs to door handles, faucets, telephones, computers, and other common areas. Notable facts:

• The bacteria lives on surfaces up to 8 hours
• A sneeze can broadcast germs a distance of 6 feet

Potential Severity

While flu is unpredictable, the transmission rate of H1N1 flu is high as seen in this past summer’s camp season. In a report developed by the President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology, it is been determined as plausible for 30–50% of the worldwide population to become infected with a 1% death rate (http://www.cnn.com/2009/HEALTH/08/24/us.swine.flu.projections/index.html).

In Eastern Maine Community College terms, this ratio translates to approximately EMCC 750–1,200 EMCC students, faculty and staff being infected with the possibility of 10–12 deaths.

Prevention

As proven by this past summer’s camp season, vigilant prevention and mitigation practices can contain an outbreak of H1N1 that otherwise has the potential for shutting down entire organizations and communities.

Prevention: the methods are simple; the impact profound.

• Wash hands and use hand sanitizer
• Cough and sneeze into a tissue or sleeve
• Stay home if you have influenza-like illness (ILI): fever and sore throat and/or cough
• Stay home for 24 hours after your fever is gone without fever reducing medication

Vaccination

The CDC generally recommends the seasonal flu vaccine for everyone. More information can be found on the state and federal CDC websites: www.maineflu.gov, www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu/, www.flu.gov.

The H1N1 flu vaccine will be available in limited quantities with first available doses administered to priority groups based on vulnerability or occupation. Priority groups include people age 6 months to 25 years, pregnant women, certain professions including healthcare workers, people with compromised immune systems or other conditions that make them vulnerable.

The H1N1 flu vaccine is a two-part vaccine. The second dose is administered several weeks following the first.

Vaccine Clinics

The College is working with our area healthcare providers regarding the availability of flu vaccinations. Dates, times and locations of available flu vaccination clinics will be posted on this website as information is available.

Outbreak Plans and Policy*

All students, faculty, staff and visitors to campus are expected to prevent the spread of disease by adhering to recommended prevention practices. The campus will be equipped with hand sanitizer and tissues. Faculty and staff are urged to regularly disinfect their personal work areas with disinfecting wipes.

Students, faculty, staff and visitors are expected to stay home with ILI symptoms and not to return to campus until fever-free (without the use of fever reducing medication) for 24 hours.

Faculty will review prevention expectations and outbreak policy with students.

Faculty will make contingency plans for extended absences, their own or the students. Students will not be penalized for missing class because they have adhered to the prevention practices.

Students exhibiting signs of illness will be asked to return home if they have ILI symptoms (fever and cough and/or sore throat).

Residential students will be isolated until transportation home can be arranged.

*In the event of an outbreak, the normal level of service may be interrupted as available staff members manage the highest priority concerns.