Posted by Government officials are taking some extra precautions for flu season this fall as concern for H1N1 flu virus is renewed with the upcoming school year.
New guidance for Institutions of Higher Education (IHE) has been issued by officials from the Dept. of Health, Dept. of Education, and National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases, for planning and responding to the upcoming flu season.
The impact of H1N1 in schools has government officials especially concerned as the virus appears to spread quickly among younger Americans, specifically children age six months to 24 years. One of the CDC’s top priority groups when it comes to the new H1N1 vaccine.
Department of Education (ED) Secretary Arne Duncan said, “We can all work to keep ourselves healthy now by practicing prevention, close monitoring, and using common sense, furthermore, we know that some students may be affected by H1N1. Our top priority is making sure that they have a way to get well, stay well, and keep learning,” he said.
Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Kathleen Sebelius stated this week, “The H1N1 flu appears to be impacting a group of people who not only aren’t used to getting serious cases of the flu but are not used to getting flu shots,”
Universities in Vermont are issuing precautions to incoming students. Most of which consist of the usual precautions for flu season such as: washing hands often, avoiding contact between your hands and your face, getting vaccinated, and covering your mouth and nose with a tissue when you sneeze.
St. Michael’s College spokesperson Buff Lindau said, Wednesday, August 26, the school is handing out a sheet of precautions along with it’s regular admissions package for incoming students. She said, “We are encouraging students to get the regular flu vaccine,” which the college provides for free to students. Students begin arriving at the Colchester, Vt., campus today, Thursday, August 27.
At the University of Vermont, beside the general information about H1N1 precautions, UVM spokesman Enrique Corredera said, “ We are planning to distribute thermometers”, explaining that it may not be a common item in many students household kits. This will enable school health officials to ask students feeling ill if they have a fever, he said.
The Vermont Department of Health currently lists a total of lab-confirmed cases of H1N1 in the state at 67, with the most occurring in Chittenden County (25) and in Rutland County (9).
-Vermont Daily News staff report
