H1N1 Influenza Vaccination at HSU FAQ’s
November 6, 2009
1. When and where will H1N1 vaccine be available? H1N1 vaccine will be available on campus at no charge to members of the HSU community aged 24 and younger on:
- Friday, Nov 13 Jolly Giant Commons 2nd Floor 10:00 AM-4:00 PM
- Tuesday, Nov 17 University Center South Lounge 9:00 AM- 6:00 PM
- Wednesday, Nov 18 Jolly Giant Commons 2nd Floor 10:00 AM-7:00 PM
Persons receiving vaccine MUST bring both their HSU ID card and a government-issued photo ID with birthdate showing that they are 24 years of age or younger.
2. Who is eligible for vaccine at HSU? On campus, the H1N1 vaccine is dedicated to current HSU students, staff, and faculty 24 years of age or younger at the time of vaccination. HSU students aged 17 or younger must also present a consent form signed by a parent or guardian, available at http://studentaffairs.humboldt.edu/_download/registration_consent.pdf .
3. Are HSU faculty and staff eligible for vaccine? Only if they are 24 years of age or younger on the day that they seek to be vaccinated. Employees 25 years of age, retirees, and emeritus employees are not eligible to be vaccinated for H1N1 at HSU.
4. What about other priority groups who need H1N1 vaccine? Pregnant women can be vaccinated now at their doctor’s office. Children will receive vaccine through pediatric offices or the schools. People 25 years or older with an underlying health condition should contact their personal doctors for vaccine or the Student Health Center if they receive health care there.
5. What about HSU staff members working at campus auxiliaries like the University Center, Sponsored Programs, etc? If you work on campus for an auxiliary and have an HSU ID card, AND you are 24 years or younger on the day of vaccination, you should be eligible to receive the H1N1 vaccine.
6. I am eligible, but I want to bring along my child, significant other, etc., to be vaccinated also. The limited supply of H1N1 vaccine for the HSU clinics is intended ONLY for current HSU students, staff, and faculty who are aged 24 or younger on the day of vaccination. Persons outside these categories should see their medical practitioner.
7. Who is NOT eligible to be vaccinated on campus? Spouses, significant others, children, friends, and colleagues who are not current HSU students, staff, or faculty aged 24 or younger; alumni, retired, and emeritus HSU employees; people who have a severe allergy to chicken eggs; people who have had a severe reaction to an influenza vaccination; people who developed Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS) within 6 weeks of getting an influenza vaccine previously.
8. I am not in your eligibility list, but want to be vaccinated for H1N1. What should I do? Contact your medical practitioner about your situation, especially if you have any pre-existing conditions. More information about these specific conditions and vaccination may be found at http://www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu/vaccination . Limited amounts of H1N1 vaccine are starting to arrive at doctors’ offices locally, and their distribution is prioritized for those groups most at risk from complications from H1N1.
9. Will two doses of H1N1 vaccine be required? Not for most people. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved the use of one dose of 2009 H1N1 flu vaccine for persons 10 years of age and older.
10. How much does it cost? There is no cost to eligible HSU students, staff, and faculty for the H1N1 vaccine. The cost of the vaccine itself has been borne by the federal government, and the costs of administering the vaccine have been assumed by the University and the Humboldt County Department of Public Health.
11. Will it be a nasal spray, or injectable vaccine? As of November 5, there are both types of vaccine arriving in Humboldt County. To date, there has been no confirmation of what amounts of each type will be furnished to HSU.
12. Is it safe? H1N1 vaccine is made in the same way as seasonal flu vaccine with an excellent safety record. Hundreds of millions of doses have been safely administered compared to about 1 in a thousand deaths due to the disease. This is a many thousand fold difference in risk from vaccine vs. risk from disease.
13. Does the vaccine contain adjuvants and additives? There are no adjuvants (no squalene, aluminum or any other adjuvant) in the U.S. vaccine. There is also no latex. The vaccine is made with eggs and people with egg allergy are excluded from vaccination.
14. How soon does the vaccine start to work? About 10 days after vaccination, the body begins to produce antibodies providing protection from the H1N1 virus.
15. I already had the flu. Should I get vaccinated for H1N1? The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) advise that vaccination of a person with some existing immunity to the 2009 H1N1 virus will not be harmful. If you are absolutely certain that you have had 2009 H1N1 flu, as confirmed by your doctor’s “RT-PCR” test, you should have some immunity against 2009 H1N1 flu and can choose not to get the 2009 H1N1 vaccine (the RT-PCR test is different from “rapid flu” tests that doctors can do in their offices). Since most people with flu-like illnesses will not be tested with RT-PCR this season, the majority will not know whether they have been infected with 2009 H1N1 flu or a different virus. Therefore, if you were ill but do not know if you had 2009 H1N1 infection, you should get vaccinated, if your doctor recommends it. So, most people recommended for 2009 H1N1 vaccination should be vaccinated with the 2009 H1N1 vaccine regardless of whether they had a flu-like illness earlier in the year.
16. Will there be enough 2009 H1N1 flu vaccine for everyone who wants it? The CDC advises that there should eventually be enough 2009 H1N1 flu vaccine for anyone who chooses to get vaccinated. Supplies of vaccine are being distributed as they are made available. Many doses will eventually be distributed through private medical practitioners off-campus.
17. What about seasonal flu? Am I protected? Any immunity from 2009 H1N1 influenza infection or vaccination will not provide protection against seasonal influenza. All people should strongly consider seeking protection from seasonal flu by receiving seasonal influenza vaccine. It may be administered before, at the same time, or after receiving the H1N1 vaccination. Seasonal flu vaccine supplies have been highly variable, but may be available over the next two months.
18. Will the seasonal flu vaccine also protect against the 2009 H1N1 flu? No. The 2009 seasonal flu vaccine is not expected to protect against the 2009 H1N1 flu.
19. Where can I get more technical information about H1N1 vaccination? The best source of the most current information is at the CDC’s website, http://www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu/vaccination .