While the nationwide struggle to vaccinate against the flu continues, students, faculty, and staff at Syracuse University may be in luck.

Health Services has received 100 doses of the flu injections that will be administered to ‘high risk’ students, faculty, and staff today and Monday by appointment only.

‘We are most happy to be able to offer this protection to our students, faculty, and staff,’ Kathy VanVechten, director of nursing at SU Health Services said. ‘We did not have (the vaccine) and did not expect to get it.’

VanVechten said Thursday afternoon 38 vaccines remained and she emphasized high-risk individuals should contact her to undergo screening for the vaccine and to make an appointment at (315) 443-9019.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention classify high-risk individuals as those who are 65 years of age or older, have long-term illnesses, women who are pregnant or caring for a child under six months of age, people who take aspirin every day, and people who work in hospitals or nursing homes.

The flu vaccine shortage was first reported in early October when Chiron, a British company that manufactures the vaccine, halted the production of 50 million doses after finding traces of contamination.

While VanVechten said she received a number of phone calls from parents concerned about their child not being able to get the vaccine, she said she doesn’t think there are a significant number of high-risk individuals on campus.

‘This is a public health issue for the entire campus,’ she said and added these 100 vaccines are not just helpful to those being vaccinated, but even to those who are not.

‘It offers some degree of protection to the rest of us because those individuals who are high risk won’t be getting the flu,’ VanVechten said. ‘Every little bit helps.’

Last year, health services administered 1,400 flu vaccines, but county officials think the shortage is under control in the Syracuse area.

‘I think here in Onondaga County we’re beginning to meet the need for high-risk individuals,’ Gene Smiley, deputy commissioner for the Onondaga County Health Department said.

Smiley said the county received significant shipments of the vaccine from the New York State Department of Health and thought SU was one of the components of the population the county needed to reach out to.

‘Students who have chronic illnesses are more at risk for getting the flu,’ Smiley said. ‘Many of these students are away from home and the health center is their only outlet for the vaccine.’

Smiley also said high risk students are not only more susceptible to the flu, but may also experience significant complications, including pneumonia.

VanVechten said these vaccines were made available to the state, the county, and then to SU thanks to the reallocation of excess flu vaccines within the United States to areas that needed them.

Brad Fishman is already one of the few who have gotten a flu vaccine. The sophomore advertising major received his injection about three weeks ago when he went home for Thanksgiving.

‘I was bumped up to the top of the list,’ Fishman said, because he suffers from Crohn’s disease.

Fishman said this qualified him for a vaccine because the disease weakens the immune system, a criterion cited by the CDC for a high-risk individual.

‘I feel lucky,’ Fishman said. ‘At the same time, though, I feel I really did need it because I can get sick more easily.’

VanVechten said the county asked the university how many vaccines they wanted to purchase and the health services director decided on 100.

‘We want to make sure we can distribute what we have,’ she said.

The vaccine is $15 for students and $20 for faculty and staff.

‘I would feel better if I had (a vaccination), but I do think that those people in the criteria may need one more than I do,’ said Marley Cohen, a freshman marketing major. ‘I’ve never gotten one in the past so I’m not too worried.’

Flu symptoms include high fever, headache, extreme tiredness, cough, sore throat, runny or stuffed-up nose, and body aches.

The CDC recommends covering your nose and mouth when sneezing, disposing of tissues, staying away from people who are sick, staying home from work or school if you become ill yourself, and trying not to touch your eyes, nose, or mouth to protect against the transmission of the flu.

‘The best thing students can do is wash their hands,’ Smiley said.

Published on December 28, 2004 at 12:00 pm