H1N1 INFLUENZA VACCINE UPDATE:

The Health and Counseling Center (Brown House) has received a second shipment of H1N1 Influenza vaccine from the Vermont Department of Health. Brown House staff members will administer the vaccine to Lyndon STUDENTS ONLY starting tomorrow (Thursday). The schedule is as follows:

• Thursday, November 5, 11:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. at the Brown House
• Friday, November 6, 11:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. at the Brown House

The H1N1 Influenza vaccine will be provided free of charge and administered on a first-come, first-served basis. We recommend that any students with a chronic illness come forward to be vaccinated at this time. These illnesses include diabetes, asthma, heart disease, or any other potentially severe chronic illness. Students with these conditions are at the highest risk for complications should they contract the flu.

**Students who are allergic to eggs or have a history of adverse reactions to previous flu vaccinations should not be vaccinated.

Please contact the Brown House with any questions or concerns at ext. 6440 (802-626-6440) or by e-mail.

INFLUENZA-LIKE ILLNESS (ILI) ACTIVITY UPDATE:

The level of flu activity on campus has picked up in the last 10 days with 50 students reporting ILI symptoms at the Brown House or through the Student Life Office. It is clear that everyone is doing a great job of reporting symptoms and taking the appropriate steps to temporarily leave campus or self-isolate. We will continue to see more cases of influenza-like illness in the coming weeks or months. Please review the information (below) regarding recommended best practices for your own protection and/or self-isolation.

General information:

• How best to protect yourself from H1N1 (swine) flu:
  - Practice good hand hygiene (frequent hand washing and use of alcohol-based hand sanitizers).
  - Practice respiratory etiquette. Cover sneezes and coughs.
• What symptoms to look for:
  - Symptoms may include fever or chills and cough or sore throat. Also, runny nose, body ache, headache, tiredness, diarrhea, or vomiting.
• What to do if you think you may have the flu:
  - Stay at home if you are sick. Students living on campus should try to return to their family home, if possible.
  - Minimize social contact. Try to arrange for one person to provide care and meals. Try to maintain isolation until your fever has subsided without the use of fever-reducing medications for at least 24 hours.
  - If you believe you are in a high risk category or if you have severe symptoms, you should seek medical attention.
• What to do if you think you may have been exposed:
  - Utilize hygiene practices noted above.

People in a high-risk category, such as a pregnant woman or someone with a chronic medical condition, should call their health care provider to

Proper steps to take for self-isolation if you have flu-like symptoms:

• Those with flu-like illness should stay away from classes and limit interactions with other people, except to seek medical care, for at least 24 hours after they no longer have a fever, or signs of a fever, without the use of fever-reducing medicines. They should stay away from others during this time period even if they are taking antiviral drugs for treatment of the flu.
• Use a phone (voice or text) or e-mail to communicate with friends, family, faculty and staff.
• Residential students with flu-like illness who live relatively close to the campus should return to their home to keep from making others sick.
• Students can establish a “flu buddy scheme” in which students pair up to care for each other if one or the other becomes ill. Meals for residential students can be picked up at the dining hall during regular business hours by calling ahead (802-626-6266).
• If close contact with others cannot be avoided, please wear a surgical mask during the period of contact. Close contact includes things like caring for or living with the ill person. Masks can be picked up at the Health and Counseling Center (Brown House) or Student Life Office (RBC A304) during regular business hours. Residential students should contact the residence hall director on duty if a mask is needed after office hours (802-274-3152).
• Please report flu-like symptoms to the Health & Counseling Center (Brown House). Call 802-626-6440 or visit during regular business hours (8:00 am – 4:00 pm). Influenza usually starts suddenly and may include the following symptoms*:
  - Fever (usually high)
  - Headache
  - Fatigue (can be extreme)
  - Cough
  - Sore throat
  - Runny or stuffy nose
  - Body aches
  - Diarrhea and vomiting (more common among children than adults)
  
  *Having these symptoms does not always mean that you have the flu. Many different illnesses, including the common cold, can have similar symptoms.