Kimberly Goff-Crews and Nimalan Chinniah: Flu update
3 pm, September 11, 2009
To: Students
From: Kimberly Goff-Crews, Vice President for Campus Life and Dean of Students in the University; Nimalan Chinniah, Vice President for Administration and Chief Financial Officer
Subject: Planning for the flu season
Dear Students,
Throughout the summer, we have been planning for the flu season, in particular the pandemic H1N1 flu, and we are closely monitoring developments of the flu in preparation for the beginning of the new academic year. The good news so far is that H1N1 flu, though easily spread, continues to look no more severe than seasonal flu.
Our planning is built around the guidelines developed by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC). The CDC advises that one of the best ways to protect against the flu is to be vaccinated, and we strongly encourage all students to seek the widely available vaccination for seasonal influenza from your regular health care provider, prior to returning to campus or at the very beginning of the year if possible. A vaccine for pandemic H1N1 has been developed, but experts say it will not be available until October at the earliest. The number of doses available, especially early on, may not allow for everybody to receive it. As more doses become available, we will do our best to provide it, according to CDC guidelines for prioritization.
Even without a vaccine, however, there are key steps you can take to stay healthy: wash your hands frequently with soap and water; use hand sanitizers as an alternative; cover your nose and mouth with a tissue, or even with your arm, when you cough or sneeze.
The CDC also recommends that anybody with a flu-like illness stay out of public venues until the fever is gone for at least 24 hours. Just as we will advise faculty and staff to stay home if they are sick with a flu-like illness, we advise you to stay in your room or apartment until 24 hours after the fever and/or other symptoms have resolved. If you live in a residence hall, the residential staff can help you and your roommate as needed.
We will tell you more about all of our preparations and provide more information about the progress of the flu as the academic year begins, in emails and meetings and on the flu web page we launched last year, http://news.uchicago.edu/btn/swineflu.php.
Your parents and family members may also be interested in knowing more about our plans — please share this letter with them and ask them to regularly review the University’s flu web page.
We look forward to seeing you soon.
Sincerely,
Kimberly Goff-Crews
Vice President for Campus Life and Dean of Students in the University
Nim Chinniah
Vice President for Administration and Chief Financial Officer