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Updated: 7:34 PM Nov 2, 2009
Swine flu vaccine coming soon to UW-Eau Claire campus
Because of the mobile lifestyle they often lead, college students are more susceptible to getting the swine flu -- fortunately UW-Eau Claire should be receiving about 1000 doses of the vaccine in the coming weeks.
Posted: 6:42 PM Nov 2, 2009Reporter: Amelia Cerling Email Address: Amelia.Cerling@weau.com |
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College students are very mobile people, always on the go and often, running on less than a healthy amount of sleep. And health experts say that makes them more susceptible to getting sick.
UW-Eau Claire has already vaccinated just under 300 of it's health professionals and nursing students, but now the Director of Health Services says she’s requested 1000 vaccines which will be available to high risk students in the coming weeks.
Angela Lokken-Hopkins is a hard working sophomore at UW-Eau Claire studying criminal justice, her biggest worry when it comes to the swine flu, is the possibility of missing class. She says, “That's probably the most important part of college is going to class, if I can't go to class, I can't learn, so my only concern is being sick enough not to go to class.”
While Angela says she hasn't changed her routine at all in fear of catching the flu, many of her friends have. She says, “In the dorms I have at least three friends that last year didn't carry any sort of hand sanitizer and now they have it with them at all times.”
Which Laura Chellman, Director of Student Health Services on campus says, isn't a bad idea. Chellman says, “Certainly the most important thing is if they're ill, they should self-isolate. Not go to work, not go to classes until 24 hours after their fever has subsided.”
Chellman says already this year she's gotten a lot of calls and emails asking about the H1N1 vaccine, but until an abundant supply is available, only those students, faculty and staff who are considered high risk, qualify for the limited vaccine.
She says, “Anyone specifically who has chronic illnesses or underlying illness that would cause them more problems and complications if they got influenza.”
Whether you qualify to receive the vaccine or not, Chellman recommends staying healthy and taking care of yourself because this flu isn't going to go away anytime soon.
Here's one piece of good advice. Health experts say once you get H1N1 or the swine flu, you can't get it again.
But you can still catch colds and the seasonal flu.

