From our colleague Jeri Semer of ACUTA:
FYI, thought I'd share my notes from the U.S. Department of Education briefing for the higher education community today, on preparation for the H1N1 flu on college and university campuses.
Education Secretary Duncan: College students are a high-risk group. Guidance is being released today for colleges and universities. The guidance is available at http://www.flu.gov/plan/school/higheredguidance.html.
Sanitation awareness-cleaning of high-risk areas
Sick students to stay in their rooms
Remove any incentives for employees to return from work before they are fully recovered from any illness
Secretary of Health and Human Services Sebelius: College students are one of the high-risk groups
College support in encouraging vaccination when it becomes available is essential
Basic common sense and staying away from school when sick
They will have a widget available re: vaccination
Also reaching out through Facebook, Twitter, discussions with ESPN. They have also had a contest for the best PSA, and the winner will receive a gift certificate and TV exposure.
They feel they are on track monitoring the virus across the country and getting vaccine ready---they expect it to be ready by mid-October.
Monitoring of students who are going abroad to study will be important.
www.flu.gov is the universal website for information on this matter. Also contact with local health officials will be important because much of the data will be local.
Dr. Bell from CDC discussed the higher education guidance. Goal is to limit spread of the flu while limiting interruption of important day to day academic activities.
Reviewed basic hygiene steps and concept of self-isolation.
Self-isolation---separation of sick people from healthy people until 24 hours after their fever goes away without fever-reducing medications.
Guidance recommends that students, faculty and staff not go to classes, stay away from healthy people. For students in residence halls or residing close to campus---return to home if possible. For those not in residence, stay away from campus.
Students should check with their health care providers to see if they have a condition that puts them at higher risk.
Institutions should act now to revise and update their response plans and strengthen relationships with local public health officials.
CDC will be providing updates and revising guidance as needed.
Q&A:
1. President of American College Health Assn.: They are going to develop a surveillance system in the next couple of weeks to provide the CDC with more accurate information on how the disease evolves on college campuses. Question re: vaccine availability---urged the government to keep the public well-apprised of anticipated arrival of the vaccine several weeks in advance due to the logistical challenge of initiating mass vaccination campaigns on university campuses. They are working with five different manufacturers, and information is still not firm as to the number of courses of vaccine that will be available on any particular date. More precise information should be available in mid-September.
2. Question from a university with health professions schools---will students be banned from clinical facilities if they are not vaccinated? No-this is a voluntary program, and although health care providers are recommended to be in the first group that is vaccinated, it is not mandatory. However, they are at high risk and the govt. is urging it. Seasonal (not H1N1) flu vaccine is available now and will be widely available by Labor Day, and health care workers should get vaccinated ASAP for seasonal flu.
3. What can state coordinating boards do to be of assistance? The federal govt. is working on a surveillance system to gather real time information on spread of the disease, through partnerships with health care organizations. This monitoring will be very important. Part of the CDC website called "Flu View" will show developments around the country.
4. The CDC guidance will be available this afternoon along with a communications kit, at http://www.flu.gov/plan/school/higheredguidance.html and http://www.flu.gov/plan/school/higheredtoolkit.html. An archived recording of this webinar will also be available there.
Jeri A. Semer, CAE
Executive Director
ACUTA - The Association for Information Communications
Technology Professionals in Higher Education
152 W. Zandale Dr., #200
Lexington, KY 40503
Phone: 859-278-3338, ext. 225
Fax: 859-278-3268
E-mail: jsemer@acuta.org
Web: http://www.acuta.org
Follow ACUTA on Twitter: http://twitter.com/acuta
Join us for the ACUTA Fall Seminar
Portland, OR October 25-28, 2009
Track 1: Managing and Financing the Converged Environment
Track 2: Mobility & Wireless - Where are We Going?
More info and registration at
www.acuta.org/events/seminars/fse09.cfm
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Bob Hassmiller
NACAS
Chief Executive Officer
Charlottesville VA
United States
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