Issue date: 11/11/09 Section: News

Freshman speech pathology major Lauren Plumb sanitizes her hands before leaving the Martin Luther King Jr. University Union on Monday, Sept. 14. (File Photo by Katie Glaze/The Daily Eastern News)

Health Service administered 700 dosages of the H1N1 vaccine during the on-campus clinic Tuesday, according to Sheila Baker, medical director for Health Service.

Baker said 1,300 doses are left for today's clinic from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. in the Student Recreation Center.

Baker was discouraged with Tuesday's turnout.

"We heard many students tell us today that they were boycotting the vaccine due to this video," she said.

The video Baker referred to is a video by Inside Edition (found on YouTube) showing one woman's alleged side effect to the seasonal flu vaccine where she can only walk backward and run.

"We at Health Service have done everything we can to follow (Centers for Disease Control) recommendations and take care of students, and now we are trying to vaccinate to prevent illness and our efforts are in vain," Baker said.

The CDC expects the H1N1 vaccine to have a similar safety profile as seasonal flu vaccines. The CDC reports that the H1N1 vaccine's side effects are the same effects typically associated with the seasonal flu vaccines and are expected with the H1N1 flu vaccines.

The most common effects are mild, such as soreness, redness, tenderness or swelling where the shot was given.

"I think it is interesting that all the knowledge of the CDC can not compare to one YouTube video that is supposedly documenting one person's side effect to the seasonal flu vaccine," Baker said.

The CDC and the Food and Drug Administration are closely monitoring for any signs that the vaccine is causing unexpected adverse events and working with state and local health officials to investigate these.

All eligible students, faculty and staff in high priority can receive the vaccine.

About two weeks after the vaccination, the antibodies that provide protection against the H1N1 influenza virus infection will develop in the body.

Coles County Clinic
The Coles County Health Department will offer an H1N1 vaccine clinic for high-risk groups from 4 to 7 p.m. Thursday at the health department, 825 18th Street in Charleston.

Because current supplies of the vaccine are limited, the health department will offer the H1N1 vaccine only to people who are at the highest risk of complications from the H1N1 flu based on the CDC requirements.

Those groups include: pregnant women, people who live with or provide care for infants younger than 6 months, health care and emergency medical services personnel, people 6 months to 24 years of age, and people 25 years through 64 years of age who have certain chronic medical conditions associated with a higher risk of influenza.

These priority groups are established based on current CDC and Illinois Department of Public Health guidelines.

Residents who meet the criteria listed above should visit www.coles.il.us/cchd/index/html where the consent form and information about the vaccine is posted. The health department has no cost associated with the H1N1. All of the costs associated with the vaccine and its delivery have been covered by federal grant funds.

Emily Zulz can be reached at 581-7942 or
DENcampusdesk@gmail.com

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