Fronske Health Center expects to have H1N1 vaccines available as soon as this week. (Photo: Jenna Galloway / NAZ Today)
FLAGSTAFF (NAZ Today) By: Jenna Galloway – Northern Arizona University continues the fight against Swine Flu, also known as the H1N1 virus, in order to keep students and faculty healthy and in class. As the projected peak of the swine flu approaches, NAU sees its swine flu prevention campaign as more important than ever.
NAU’s Fronske Health Center is a front-runner in the swine flu prevention campaign, beginning work on the program as early as the summer term.
“Our health education and nursing departments have been very active in posting public health information on the new flu around campus,” said Fronske Medical Director Timothy Fleming. Dr. Fleming also stated that immunization clinics have been conducted around campus for the seasonal flu vaccine, which began to be dispersed around Sept. 1.
The seasonal flu vaccine is not to be confused with the swine flu vaccine, which was recently approved by the Food and Drug Administration. According to Laura Oxley, communication director for the Arizona Department of Health Services, an initial dose of 70,700 in the form of nasal sprays will be available sometime this week. Oxley said that Arizona can eventually expect four million doses, both in the form of a vaccine and nasal spray, by December.
NAU’s Fronske Health Center will be able to administer this vaccine, said Tom Bauer, assistant director in the NAU office of public affairs. Bauer also mentioned that higher-risk individuals will receive the vaccine first, an idea that Dr. Fleming explains in more detail.
“This new vaccine is publicly funded and will be distributed through the state and county health departments,” said Dr. Fleming. “The county health department may provide a certain allocation to NAU. Since the federal government is paying for the vaccine and state and county health departments are controlling local distribution, there will be a tight priority system that determines who gets the vaccine and when.”
The priority system includes grouping people into high-priority candidates and low-priority candidates for the swine flu vaccine. The highest priority groups include infants and young children, children with chronic health infections, health care workers and pregnant women. Lower-priority groups include school-age students and adults who care for newborns or have a chronic condition, such as asthma or diabetes.
Those not in the higher priority groups are encouraged to practice preventative habits.
“I am very conscious of my hygiene,” said junior communications student Melissa Spaich. “I use the hand sanitizer every chance I get because I know that I probably won’t be able to be vaccinated until about December.”
Prevention of the illness has become one of the main focuses of NAU, investing an estimated $100,000 in education and prevention of the swine flu.
“$100,000 could be spent on the dispensers, extrapolating current usage for a full year,” said Bauer. “However, to date the university has spent $19,455 on sanitizer and marketing [for the swine flu prevention].”
Hand sanitizer dispensers are available in every building on campus, and educational posters have been placed strategically in bathrooms as well as common eating areas on campus. A web page has been created solely for swine flu education and prevention, and faculty have been encouraged to mention the threat of illness in classes.
“I did add language to my syllabus encouraging students not to come to class but to contact me if they are sick,” said W.A. Franke College of Business professor Eric Yordy. “The provost recommended language to all faculty and asked that we be sensitive to those who are ill and help prevent the spread of the flu.”
