The Pride

Issue date: 11/17/09 Section: Focus

Media Credit: trendsupdates.com

On Nov. 4, 2009, Director of Student Health and Counseling Services, Dr. Karen Nicholson, released a statement regarding the H1N1 vaccine. As CSUSM is a campus community serving thousands of people, containing the H1N1 virus is a high priority. Throughout the semester, CSUSM's Office of Communications has issued releases as a way to keep the community educated and aware of any updates related to the outbreak of the H1N1 virus, or swine flu.

"As you may have heard, San Diego County has begun receiving H1N1 vaccines. The initial doses have been in very limited supplies, with the majority of it going to local hospitals," the statement begins, later advising students that, "Once we [Student Health and Counseling Services] receive the vaccine, we will make announcements regarding where and when the vaccine will be distributed."

For the many who have yet to receive the vaccine, the release offers little solace. As mentioned, the vaccines are coming in small shipments, forcing medical facilities to turn away patients anxious to get the vaccination.

Since it has spread from North America to other continents, the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) updated the virus's status to pandemic last June.

According to the WHO, there have been over 500,000 confirmed cases in the world and at least 6,260 deaths as of Nov. 8, 2009.
On the bright side, a vaccine to the virus is available. According to the CDC, over 4 million doses arrived in California, which is at least one million more than any other state has received. The new vaccine sounds hopeful, but it raises many questions about risks, benefits, and to whom it will be available.

The San Diego Immunization Branch (www.sdiz.org) says that the best places locally to get the vaccine are from medical care providers, county public health centers, county mass vaccination clinics, community clinics, and school-located vaccination clinics.

CSUSM Health and Services will be having a flu vaccination clinic during the week of Nov. 16, however this will only be for the seasonal flu, not the swine flu, and SHCS says that the vaccines are taking longer than expected to be shipped.

According to CDC recommendations, medical providers give priority to children and adults ages 6 months to 24 years, pregnant women, caretakers of infants, and health care workers. Unfortunately, the county only has access to the nasal spray vaccine, which limits the candidates to non-pregnant, healthy children and adults between 2 and 24 years of age, and healthy caretakers under the age of fifty.

Continued...

Page 1 of 2 next >

Article Tools