H1N1 nasal vaccine now available at M.U. clinics

12/2/09 - As of yesterday, University of Rhode Island Health Services is offering the H1N1 vaccine to students for free until next Friday. Director of Health Services Chad Henderson said vaccines will be available until at least Friday at clinics held in the Memorial Union. He said students must be under the age of 25 and have a valid URI identification card to be eligible.

Henderson said Health Services anticipates approximately 500 doses of the nasal-mist vaccine will be available each day.

He said the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention allocates vaccines for the university. The amount of vaccines available to students depends as long as the state is given the amount it has been allocated.

"If the state gets its allocation for the next two weeks, it will last until the 18th of December," Henderson added.

He said if the state receives any less than its allocation, Health Services may have to reduce the number of clinics or the amount of vaccines available each day. It's possible Henderson will find out Thursday if there will be a sufficient amount of vaccines to last through next week.

According to the Health Services Web site, a very limited supply of injectable vaccine will be available "for those who have conditions precluding the nasal vaccine."

"The issue is if you are under 25, and eligible to get the H1N1 vaccine, which is in the nasal-mist form, you can't get two nasal-mists within 28 days," Henderson said.

Therefore, recipients would be ineligible to receive both the seasonal and H1N1 vaccine within 28 days.

Henderson also said the vaccines are paid for by the CDC and the State Department of Health, and not by the university. However URI does pay for seasonal flu shots.

"We've always given out [seasonal] flu shots for free in the 12 years I've been here and for as long as anybody can remember," Henderson said.

He said Health Services began giving out the seasonal flu vaccine move-in weekend, but exhausted its supply. They received 500 seasonal flu vaccines (of the nasal-mist form) last week, Henderson said. As of Monday, he estimated about 200 have been given out.

Health Services defines flu-like symptoms as a fever in excess of 100 degrees and a cough or sore throat, Henderson said.

He also said Health Services experienced 9,477 visits this semester as of Sunday night. Health Services diagnosed 294 of those as influenza-like illnesses. Health Services sends three samples per week to the State Health Department to confirm the H1N1 flu.

"Of the [28] tests we've sent to the Health Department, 19 of them came back positive for H1N1-like flu," he said.

He said last week, URI experienced a significant drop in influenza-like illness.

"I see that as a good sign. I would think we're going into a valley," Henderson said. "I think it's decreasing but it doesn't mean it won't turn around and increase again."

He encourages anyone eligible to get vaccinated.

"It's an easy thing to do and it prevents them [from] getting the illness or spreading the illness."

To get a vaccine, students must go to www.uri.edu/health and fill out the consent form listed on the Web site.

Henderson believes the vaccine takes 10-14 days to become fully effective. The clinic will take place daily in the Memorial Union from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. until next Friday.