WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — Purdue continues to offer H1N1 vaccinations to all of the university’s faculty, staff, retirees, students and their spouses/domestic partners.

“Despite the fact that the incidence of H1N1 has declined recently, both locally and nationally, the Centers for Disease Control states that the flu is expected to continue for months,” said James Westman, director of the Purdue Student Health Center. “This ebb between H1N1 waves presents an excellent opportunity for those who have not received the vaccine to be immunized. Getting the vaccine is the single best way to protect against the H1N1 virus.”

The university has administered the vaccine to more than 6,700 people as of Feb. 18, including 3,846 students. Vaccinations are available from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. weekdays in Room G51 of the Purdue Student Health Center.

There is no charge for students. Purdue identification cards will be needed, and employees also will need to show their Purdue-sponsored insurance card to cover the $12 administration fee.

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — The Purdue Student Health Center has seen only one student with H1N1 since Dec. 23. Since Aug. 30, 1,415 students – less than 4 percent of the total student body on the West Lafayette campus – had reported being ill with flulike symptoms.

To prevent spreading the illness, James Westman, director of the health center, advises:

• If you are ill with influenza, do not attend class or go to work. Purdue supervisors may require that ill employees stay home. If you are a student, contact your professors, instructors or employers to let them know you are ill as soon as possible. If you need help with this, contact the Office of the Dean of Students right away.
• If you live in a Purdue residence hall, let your residence hall adviser know. Sick meals can be prepared for you. They also can provide cleaning products for you and those around you.
• Stay home at least 24 hours after your temperature returns to normal without the aid of medicine. This is important to avoid medical complications as well as to stop the spread of the disease.
• Isolate yourself, or go home if possible. If you can’t do either of these, suggest your roommate relocate until you no longer have a fever and other symptoms. The ill person also should wear a mask when others are present to prevent spreading the infection.
• Use the buddy system. Ask friends to check on you and help buy what you need.

“It’s a good idea to have a thermometer and fever-reducing medicine such as acetaminophen on hand,” Westman said. “You might also want to put some hand sanitizer in your backpack and living area. The Purdue Student Health Center provides these to patients with flulike symptoms who seek care there.”

As with most viruses, flu is spread primarily by coughs and sneezes or by touching contaminated surfaces and transferring the virus by hand to your nose, mouth or eyes. To increase the chances of staying healthy and helping prevent spread, he suggests:

• Avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth.
• Cough into your sleeve or a tissue to prevent spreading germs. Do not cough into your hands. Dispose of tissues in a wastebasket.
• Refrain from spitting and sharing beverages, food or eating utensils with others.
• Wash your hands with soap under warm running water for 20 seconds and rinse your hands well. If soap and water are not available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer.
• Dry your hands using a paper towel or air dryer. If possible, use the paper towel to turn off the faucet and turn the doorknob. Be sure your hands are dry before directly touching anything.
• Consider getting a vaccination against the seasonal flu, now available at the Purdue Student Health Center. While vaccines will not protect against H1N1, they will protect against previously known flu strains.

More ways to minimize risk can be found at the CDC’s Web site on homecare at http://www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu/guidance_homecare.htm

Flu symptoms usually appear 24-48 hours after exposure to the virus, and people remain contagious for up to seven days after the onset of symptoms.

Basic flu symptoms include fever, cough, sore throat, fatigue, chills and body aches. Seek emergency care immediately if you experience any of the following symptoms:

• Difficulty breathing or shortness of breath
• Pain or pressure in the chest or abdomen
• Sudden dizziness
• Confusion
• Severe or persistent vomiting

Updated information from Purdue and government agencies will be available at http://www.purdue.edu/fluinfo. A link also can be found on the Purdue home page.

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — Purdue University’s West Lafayette campus will begin offering H1N1 vaccinations to all the university’s faculty, staff, retirees, students and their spouses/domestic partners beginning Monday (Dec. 21).

Purdue has administered more than 5,000 doses of the vaccine to the priority groups identified by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and now is opening vaccinations to the rest of the campus community from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. weekdays in Room G43 of the Purdue Student Health Center. The center will be closed Dec. 24 and 25 and Dec. 31 and Jan. 1. Of the doses administered so far, 3,400 went to students.

There is no charge for students. Purdue identification cards will be needed, and employees also will need to show their Purdue-sponsored insurance card to cover the $12 administration fee.

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — All members of the Purdue University campus under age 25 as well as those who fall into other high-priority categories can make appointments online to receive the H1N1 vaccine beginning Friday (Dec. 4).

Those eligible include students, faculty, staff, retirees and their spouses/same-sex domestic partners who meet the criteria.

“The Tippecanoe County Health Department has allocated an additional 8,900 doses to Purdue, so for the first time most of our students in this most vulnerable age group will be eligible,” said James Westman, director of the Purdue Student Health Center (PUSH).

The vaccination clinics are scheduled for:

• 10 a.m. to 5 pm. Friday, Dec. 4, in Stewart Center, Room 214 A-D.
• 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 9, in the northeast gym at the Recreational Sports Center.

If requests for the online appointments exceed the number that can be handled during those two clinics, the university will offer a third clinic on Monday, Dec. 7, in Stewart Center, Room 218 A-D. Updates on clinics will be posted at Purdue’s H1N1 Web site (http://www.purdue.edu/fluinfo) and the PUSH Web site (https://www.purdue.edu/push).

Eligible individuals can make an appointment for themselves or their spouses/same-sex partner at http://www.purdue.edu/worklife Tuesday (Dec. 1) afternoon. There is no charge for students. Purdue identification cards will be needed, and employees also will need to show their Purdue-sponsored insurance card to avoid a $12 administration fee.

In addition to those under the age of 25, others eligible to receive the vaccine (via injection, not the nasal spray) include the following:

• Pregnant women.
• Caregivers for children younger than 6 months.
• University health-care and emergency medical personnel.
• Individuals under age 65 with underlying health conditions that put them at risk for complications of flu-related illness.

Individuals considered to be at risk are those who have: cancer, blood disorders, obesity, chronic lung disease (asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, etc.), diabetes, heart disease, kidney or liver disorders, neurological or neuromuscular disorders, or otherwise weakened immune systems.

Call the Purdue University Student Health Center at (765) 494-1720 with questions. A limited number of H1N1 immunizations also will be available at the health center from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. weekdays, but individuals are encouraged to sign up for an appointment at one of the clinics to avoid waiting, Westman said.

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — The Purdue Student Health Center has received 400 doses of H1N1 vaccine through the Tippecanoe County Health Department.

The Health Center also reported that the supply of seasonal flu vaccine has been exhausted and that no additional supplies are expected to be available this year.

H1N1 vaccines will be available from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday in Room 43 at the center. Because of the limited supply, only those in established priority groups will be eligible for vaccines. The priority guidelines have been set by the Tippecanoe County Health Department based on guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Those considered top priority include the following:

• Pregnant women.

• Caregivers for children younger than 6 months.

• University health-care and emergency medical personnel.

• Individuals with underlying health conditions that put them at risk for complications of flu-related illness.

Individuals considered to be at risk are those who have: cancer, blood disorders, chronic lung disease (asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, etc.), diabetes, heart disease, kidney or liver disorders, neurological or neuromuscular disorders, or otherwise weakened immune systems.

Individuals may call the Student Health Center’s Urgent Care Unit at 765-494-1724 to determine if they have a qualifying health condition.

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — Vaccine for the seasonal flu will be available for Purdue University students beginning Friday (Sept. 25).

Dates, locations and times for Flu Shots on the West Lafayette campus.

The Purdue University Student Health Center will provide the vaccinations from 10:00a to 4:00p Friday in the atrium of Armstrong Hall and then daily at the health center while supplies last. The cost for students is $15.

Vaccinations for faculty, staff and graduate staff will be available at eight different times beginning Oct. 9. Times and locations are available online (Download PDF)

Also, a separate vaccine for H1N1 Type A influenza (swine flu) is expected to become available in October.

“While the seasonal flu vaccine won’t directly protect you from H1N1, it will help keep you from getting seasonal flu, and, therefore, make you less vulnerable to the possibility of having two strains at once,” said James Westman, director of Purdue Student Health Center. “Since the student-age population is believed to have little or no immunity to H1N1, maintaining one’s general health is essential, especially for those with underlying health problems or weakened immune systems.”

Although 271 students on the West Lafayette campus have been treated for flulike illness since Aug. 30, the number of cases have begun to decline, with only eight reported Saturday (Sept. 19) through late Tuesday (Sept. 22). Of the 168 of those tested for Type A influenza, of which H1N1 is a subset, 23 were positive for Type A. Thirty-seven samples were tested by the Indiana State Board of Health. Of those, 29 were positive for H1N1.

The university is providing frequent updates at http://www.purdue.edu/fluinfo.