H1N1 FLU – WHAT
EVERYONE NEEDS TO KNOW
Often called the swine flu, H1N1 is a new flu virus.
The H1N1 flu is classified as a “pandemic” which simply means the flu is
happening in many different places in the world at the same time.
Vernon College is taking
appropriate health and safety precautions to help protect our students, faculty
and staff in preventing the spread of flu at Vernon College.
But, we need your help and cooperation!
We are working closely with the Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS)
on both the state and county levels.
We are also in contact with the Center for Disease Control and Prevention
(CDC). We will keep you updated
with new information as it becomes available to us.
For now, we are doing everything to keep our institution operating as usual!
Here are a few things you can do
to help:
ü
Wash your hands with soap and water, especially after coughing or sneezing.
Carry and use hand sanitizers.
ü
Practice “respiratory etiquette”!
Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue when you cough or sneeze.
Dispose of your used tissues in a waste receptacle.
If you don’t have a tissue, cough or sneeze into your elbow or shoulder,
not into your hands!
ü
Know the signs and symptoms of the flu.
(Click
here for signs and symptoms)
ü
Stay home if you have flu or flu-like symptoms for at least 24 hours after you
no longer have a fever. You should
be “fever-free” without the use of fever-reducing medications (any medicine that
contains ibuprofen or acetaminophen).
If you have a fever (100 degrees Fahrenheit), don’t go to class or work.
ü
Talk with your health care
providers about whether you should be vaccinated for seasonal flu.
The flu vaccine currently offered by health care providers is one of the
best ways to protect yourself and others from seasonal flu.
The H1N1 flu vaccine is expected to be available in mid-October.
IF you are at higher risk for flu complications (people with chronic
medical conditions or pregnant women), you should consider getting the H1N1
vaccine when it becomes available.
For information about priority groups for vaccination, visit
www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu/vaccination/acip.htm
.
For more information about flu in our community and what our institution is
doing, check this website for updates or call the Student Services Department at
940-552-6291, ext. 2278. If this
year’s flu season becomes more severe, Vernon College will take additional
actions to prevent the spread of virus and to protect the wellbeing of our
students and employees.
Vernon College’s
Pandemic Influenza Response Policy
can be accessed
here.
Here are some helpful websites to
stay informed about prevention and treatment of the H1N1 flu:
TexasFlu.org
is the DSHS website for flu information in Texas. Bookmark it. Sign up to
receive Twitter and e-mail notices when information is posted.
www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu
is the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) website.
You may also contact the CDC 24 hours/Every Day at 1-800-CDC-INFO
{232-4636}. TTY phone is
888-232-6348. You may email CDC at
cdcinfo@cdc.gov.
CDC now has updated
flu information related to H1N1 flu and seasonal flu through Twitter, Facebook,
and MySpace. Go to cdc.gov for more info!