A Message from the College Physician
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September 2, 2009
To Colby Students, Faculty, and Staff: We’ve all seen the news reports, press releases, government warnings, and medical advice surrounding the current H1N1, or swine flu, pandemic. While the virus has spread to every state and much of the rest of the world, to date its impact in the United States has been minimal. However, public health officials agree that once the regular flu season begins this fall, we are likely to see a resurgence of H1N1 in the United States. Director of Safety Bruce McDougal and I have been monitoring the flu situation in Maine this summer and are in regular contact with the state’s Center for Disease Control and Prevention. Colby’s Emergency Response Team met twice in August to review the College’s pandemic plan and discuss preventive measures the College and individual students and employees should be advised to take. While personal hygiene is important in
preventing the transmission of flu, the single best way to protect
yourself against the flu is to get a seasonal flu shot. The vaccine
takes approximately two weeks to take effect, so getting vaccinated
early is important. Guidelines and information about the season flu vaccine from the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are available here and at www.colby.edu/flu/. The
College plans to hold a seasonal flu vaccine clinic later this month,
with a priority on vaccinating students along with faculty and staff
members who are at high risk of complications from the flu. We also
plan to hold clinics for the H1N1 vaccine, which is currently in
clinical trials and expected to be available in late October. As soon
as we have worked out the details of the seasonal and H1N1 flu clinics,
I will share them with you. Colby College Medical Director Director of Sports Medicine 4460 Mayflower Hill Waterville, Maine 04901 |