UMBC H1N1 Flu Vaccinations
University Health Services (UHS) will be giving the H1N1 vaccine to students, staff, faculty, and their family members that fall into one of the categories below:
Healthy individuals age 16 - 24 (UHS cannot do pediatric medicine)
Pregnant Women
Immune compromised
Emergency Workers
Caregivers of children under 6 months of age
The vaccinations are free. However, one must escort their family member who is eligible for the vaccine to UHS and present their UMBC ID card. Anyone without a UMBC ID card or card-carrying family member present with them will not be eligible to receive the vaccine.
The vaccinations are by appointment only. Phone calls for appointments will be accepted starting Monday, November 9, 2009.
For questions or to make an appointment, please call University Health Services starting Monday, November 9th at 410-455-2542 and press "1" at the voice prompt.
UMBC H1N1 Pandemic Flu Resource Page
Follow this link to visit the H1N1 Pandemic Flu Resource Page. Or copy paste the following link in your browser
http://www.umbc.edu/flu_info/
H1N1 Flu Information
On June 11, 2009, the World Health Organization has announced the Flu Pandemic Level is now at Level 6. To read the Director's full remarks, please see the WHO Announcement link.
Since the CDC is no longer recommending testing for each suspected case (unless the person is hospitalized) UHS will be following recommendations for all patients exhibiting Influenza Like Illness (ILI) symptoms. There have been confirmed cases on the UMBC campus as well as in the Baltimore community. It is imperative that all members of the campus community assist in minimizing the spread of this disease.
For more information about H1N1 flu, please see the
CDC H1N1 Flu Webpage.
The H1N1 virus spreads in the same way that seasonal flu spreads - primarily from person-to-person contact and through coughing or sneezing by people with influenza. People may occasionally become infected by touching something with flu viruses on it and then touching their eyes, mouth, or nose. The Center for Disease Control (CDC) has advised health care professionals to treat H1N1 in the same way that seasonal flu cases are handled.
The following are CDC recommendations:
- If you have flu-like symptoms, including a fever over 100 degrees F (37.8 degrees C) AND cough, sore throat, or runny nose or stuffiness, then stay home and CALL your physician.
- If you are mildly sick with flu-like symptoms, STAY HOME and recover.
- You should be more seriously concerned and seek professional help if you have the following worrisome WARNING SIGNS:
Difficulty breathing or shortness of breath
Pain or pressure in the chest or abdomen
Sudden dizziness or confusion
Severe or persistent vomiting
You can minimize any risk of catching the virus by:
- Washing your hands often, especially after coughing, sneezing, and wiping or blowing the nose.
- Covering your mouth with your sleeve, not your hands, when coughing or sneezing.
- Using paper tissues when wiping or blowing your nose; throwing tissues away after use.
- Staying away from crowded living and sleeping spaces, if possible.
- Staying home and avoiding contact with other people to protect them from catching your illness.
- If you are concerned about your work or residential environment, a household disinfectant can be used to wipe down commonly touched areas like work stations, counter tops, door knobs, and bathroom surfaces.
- Persons with ILI, who wish to seek medical care, should contact their health care provider or university health services to report illness by telephone or other remote means before seeking care. Universities should assure that all students, faculty and staff receive messages about what they should do if they become ill with ILI, including reporting ILI to university health services.
- If persons with ILI must leave their home or dorm room (for example, to seek medical care or other necessities) they should cover their nose and mouth when coughing or sneezing and wear a loose-fitting (surgical) mask if available.
- Students, faculty or staff who live either on or off campus and who have ILI should self-isolate (i.e., stay away from others) in their dorm room or home for at least 24 hours after their fever is gone except to get medical care or for other necessities (their fever should be gone without the use of a fever-reducing medicine). They should keep away from others as much as possible. This is to keep from making others sick.
- Roommates, household members, or those caring for an ill person should follow guidance developed for caring for sick persons at home.
- Persons who are at high risk of complications from novel influenza A (H1N1) infection (for example, persons with certain chronic medical conditions, children less than 5 years, persons 65 or older, and pregnant women) should consider their risk of exposure to novel influenza if they attend public gatherings in communities where novel influenza A virus is circulating. Information on prevention of influenza, including mask use is available at Interim Recommendations for Facemask and Respirator Use.
Large Gatherings
- On the basis of what is currently known about the ongoing spread of novel influenza A (H1N1) and, as a means to prevent the further spread of disease on and off campus, universities should encourage persons with ILI to stay home and away from large gatherings. Persons who are sick, should be instructed to limit their contact with other people as much as possible and to stay home for 7 days after their symptoms begin or until they have been symptom-free for 24 hours, whichever is longer. In addition, they should be reminded to use appropriate respiratory and hand hygiene. Gatherings may include graduations and commencement activities, concerts, sporting events, and other gatherings where close contact is likely between a large number of attendees.
General Information
How can I prevent getting the flu?
- Cover your nose and mouth with a tissue when you cough or sneeze. Throw the tissue in the trash after you use it.
- Wash your hands often with soap and water, especially after you cough or sneeze. Alcohol-based hand cleaners are also effective.
- Try to avoid close contact with sick people.
- Avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth. Germs spread this way.
What are the symptoms?
Influenza usually starts suddenly and may include the following symptoms:- Fever (above 101 degrees)
- Headache
- Tiredness (can be extreme)
- Cough
- Sore throat
- Runny or stuffy nose
- Body aches
- Diarrhea and vomiting (more common among children than adults)
What Happens if I get sick?
Most healthy people recover from the flu without complications. If you get the flu:- Stay home from work or school.
- Get lots of rest, drink plenty of liquids, and avoid using alcohol and tobacco.
- There are over-the-counter (OTC) medications to relieve the symptoms of the flu (but never give aspirin to children or teenagers who have flu-like symptoms, particularly fever).
- Remember that serious illness from the flu is more likely in certain groups of people including people 65 and older, pregnant women, people with certain chronic medical conditions and young children.
- Consult your doctor early on for the best treatment, but also be aware of emergency warning signs that require urgent medical attention.
Emergency Warning Signs
Seek emergency medical care if you or someone you know is having any of following warning signs discussed below.In children, emergency warning signs that need urgent medical attention include:
- Fast breathing or trouble breathing
- Bluish skin color
- Not drinking enough fluids
- Not waking up or not interacting
- Being so irritable that the child does not want to be held
- Flu-like symptoms improve but then return with fever and worse cough
- Fever with a rash
- Difficulty breathing or shortness of breath
- Pain or pressure in the chest or abdomen
- Sudden dizziness
- Confusion
- Severe or persistent vomiting
What if it's after hours and UHS is closed?
When UHS is closed, our 24-hour emergency on-call physician service is available by calling University Police at 410-455-5555 or 911.St. Agnes Hospital on Wilkens Ave. is the closest hospital to UMBC.
Directions to St. Agnes Hospital are as follows:Follow Hilltop Circle to Walker Ave. Turn away from campus onto Walker Ave.
Turn RIGHT on Wilkens Ave.
Bear LEFT at Southwestern Blvd. continuing on Wilkens Ave.
St. Agnes is approximately 3 miles from campus.
St. Agnes is on the right at the intersection of Wilkens Ave. and Caton Ave.
View Larger Map
In addition there are urgent care clinics in the Baltimore area:
- Concentra Urgent Care - 410.247.9595
- Convienent Care - 410.787.4300
- Immediate Medical Care - 410.760.4500
Help! I'm extremely anxious about the H1N1 flu! What can I do?
It's normal for individuals to become concerned as a possible pandemic is threatening. To read about how to handle your feelings and concerns during this time, please click here.Is there anything else I should know?
Planning for any widespread emergency is always a good idea. Here are a few tips to follow:- Have plenty of water, tissues, cold/flu medications, non-perishable food items, etc. on hand at home.
- Staff, faculty, and any other employees of the University should be sure to enroll in payroll's direct deposit in the event the university would be closed for any reason.
- Communicate with family members as to what they should do if they become ill (making day care arrangements, help with elderly family members, etc.)
- For more information on general emergency preparedeness, please go to the Emergency Preparedness site on the CDC website.