H1N1 Update --- November 3, 2009

The Health Science Center has started to receive small amounts of H1N1 vaccine from the State Health Department.  The total amount of vaccine that will be allotted to UNTHSC remains uncertain, but we remain hopeful we’ll receive all we’ve requested over the next several weeks.  Our total request for H1N1 vaccine included enough to provide doses to employees and students who wish to receive it.  However, the Center for Disease Control has identified certain individuals considered to be at greater risk for complications from the flu and recommends providing immunization to these individuals first.  These individuals include the following:

•    Pregnant women
•    People who live with or care for infants younger than 6 months of age
•    Health care and emergency medical personnel
•    Anyone from 6 months through 24 years of age
•    Anyone from 25 through 64 years of age with certain chronic medical conditions or a weakened immune system

At this time, we are uncertain of the exact date we’ll be able to offer vaccinations to staff and students, but we expect it to be soon.  Per the guidelines of the CDC, we intend to use the first doses available to vaccinate individuals who fall into one of the categories above.  Again, we hope to eventually receive enough vaccine to immunize all of our employees and students who choose to have one.  

The process for receiving this vaccination will be slightly more involved than how seasonal vaccine was provided.  This is necessary because of the need to prioritize according to the CDC guidelines and the stringent vaccine tracking and reporting required by the state.   We will use a registration process to schedule administration of these vaccinations.  If you are interested in receiving the vaccination, you will need to pre-register by completing the attached form and sending it to Dr. Robert Adams, Chief Medical Officer (EAD-416) for UNT Health.  You will then be contacted and given a time to receive the vaccine once it becomes available. 

Please complete this form (http://connections.hsc.unt.edu/wp-content/uploads/2009/11/Patient-Registration-for-Novel-H1N1-Influenza-Vaccine.pdf)  and return it if you intend to receive the vaccine so that we can accommodate all those who are interested.

H1N1 Update --- October 1, 2009

 

News of increases in reported H1N1 cases and a death in Fort Worth over the weekend remind us of the following:

 

*  Protect yourself and others.  Wash your hands frequently, and don’t touch hands to nose, eyes or mouth.   Cover coughs or sneezes with your arm.  Don’t shake hands.

 

*  We have a public health obligation to stay open for patient care, and any individual’s illness may affect our ability to do so as a whole.  Stay home if you are sick.  If you show symptoms of illness at work, you will be sent home. 

 

*   Symptoms of H1N1 flu may include any or all of the following:  fever>100 degrees, cough, sore throat, runny nose, body aches, headaches, chills, fatigue, vomiting, diarrhea.  As with the seasonal flu, a myriad of these symptoms will frequently occur simultaneously.

 

Our H1N1 web site http://www.hsc.unt.edu/BreakingNews/ at the top of our UNTHSC Internet home page will be updated frequently, so please stay tuned.  If you have questions, email  askaboutflu@hsc.unt.edu, and your question will be answered  within  24 hours for reply on questions received Monday through Thursday.  Questions received on Friday will be answered by end of day on Monday.

Q and A

Q:  Will UNTHSC provide H1N1 flu vaccine to employees?
A:  We are investigating what it would take to do so.  It is a free vaccine, but unlike the seasonal vaccine, there is a complex medical record-keeping process mandated with it, as well as a different prioritization for those considered highest risk.  Those who are pregnant, adults who care for infants less than six months old, health care workers, emergency personnel and those 6-24 years old are highest priority for the H1N1 vaccine. 

Q:  If a co-worker is sick with the flu, will UNTHSC provide preventative medication?

A:  We have no stockpile of Tamiflu, and that drug is only effective in the first 48 hours of symptoms.  Keep in mind it does NOT prevent the flu; it only lessens symptoms.  Again, see your doctor if you are experiencing symptoms and want Tamiflu.

 

Q:  If employees are sick at work, can they be sent home?

A:  Yes.  We will start mandating this to maintain the health of our employees as a whole .

 

Q:  Does UNTHSC have an employee health office?

A:  We do not have an employee health office operation for flu screening at this time.  (Students can seek this service from Dr. Tasleyma Sattar, DO, in Student Health, ext. 2640.)

 

Q:  If employees miss more than three days of work because of H1N1, will they be required to bring a physician note before returning to work?

A:  No.

 

Q:  If an employee needs to be off work to care for immediate family members who are sick, can they take sick leave?

A:  Yes.  If they have no sick leave, they must use all available comp or vacation time before taking leave without pay.

 

Q:  Is there a plan to suspend classes or close the Health Science Center if absences reach a certain point?

A:  We will assess this issue depending on need.  Therefore, collecting the daily absence report is more critical than ever.

 

Q:  What is the Health Science Center doing?

A:  In the patient care areas, suspected H1N1 patients are being masked and all surface areas are being cleaned.  Overall, custodial employees continue to clean common areas such as elevator buttons and door handles, as they have done on a more frequent basis since the outbreak last spring.

 

 

 

Update                                                                                                               

• Cover your nose and mouth with your arm or a tissue when you cough or sneeze. Throw the tissue in the trash after use.
• Wash your hands often with soap and water, especially after you cough or sneeze. Alcohol-based hand cleaners are also effective.
• Avoid touching your eyes, nose, or mouth. Germs spread that way.
• Get plenty of sleep, be physically active, manage stress, drink plenty of fluids, and eat nutritious food
• Try to avoid close contact with sick people
• Try to avoid highly-trafficked, enclosed spaces