McNeese State University has begun administering the H1N1 vaccine to targeted student groups including those working in hospitals, living in residence halls and student athletes.

 “Using the priority guidelines established by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), the vaccine is being administered this week on a voluntary basis to faculty and staff who will be working in the H1N1 campus operation, to nursing, radiologic sciences and clinical laboratory science students actively participating in clinical settings with direct patient contact, to residential students and to student athletes,” Dr. Toby Osburn, McNeese dean of student services, said.

There will be no charge for the vaccine. However, students that choose to receive the vaccine must have a valid McNeese ID or other form of identification and be included in one of the identified groups.

Students in these groups are being notified about the day, time and location to receive the vaccine. The vaccine that will be given is the nasal spray. The nasal spray is only intended for healthy people age 2-49 who are not pregnant and do not have certain health conditions.

Faculty members in the McNeese College of Nursing and nurses from the McNeese Student Health Center are administering the H1N1 vaccine. Volunteers from the Calcasieu Medical Reserve Corps are assisting with the intake procedures.

“McNeese registered to be a provider of the H1N1 vaccine for McNeese students and employees and we received a limited supply of the H1N1 vaccine,” Osburn said. Osburn leads the McNeese H1N1 Taskforce and it established the protocols and procedures to distribute the vaccine. The next phase of the H1N1 campaign will be targeted to student teachers and education majors doing observations in Pre-K-12 schools.

According to Candace Townsend, McNeese director of public information and communications, an ongoing information campaign about the H1N1 virus and prevention techniques has been in place since the semester began. “Posters about proper hand washing techniques and coughing and sneezing etiquette have been placed in restrooms around campus and information about H1N1 and the vaccine is posted on the McNeese Emergency Communication Web page,” Townsend said.

Information has also been sent to students and employees through the McNeese e-mail system. “All students and employees are issued an e-mail address and that is one of several tools that we use to communicate important information to students and employees.”

McNeese has recorded about 40 cases of flu or flu-like symptoms in students since the semester began on Aug. 17. “So far we have not seen high absenteeism. However, we know that universities across the country are seeing increases in flu or flu-like illnesses,” Townsend said.

“We have instructed students and employees to stay home if they have flu or flu-like symptoms, not to go to class or work, and stay home for at least 24 hours after they no longer have a fever without taking fever reducing medication. Students are asked to call in and report their absence to their instructor or department and employees are asked to report absences for flu or flu-like illnesses to their supervisor or the Human Resources Office,” she added.

Osburn said that additional supplies of the H1N1 vaccine would be sent to McNeese after the first shipment is depleted. “Hopefully, we will receive enough vaccine to offer it on a voluntary basis to the general student population and to employees.”