Oct. 22, 2009
To the Dartmouth community
I'm writing to update you on cases of Influenza-Like Illness (ILI) that have been diagnosed at the College since the beginning of the academic year, as well as to outline how we will be dispensing doses of the H1N1 influenza vaccine once we receive our allotment of the vaccine from the State of New Hampshire
ILI cases to date
Since the College Health Service began monitoring on Sept. 22, there have been 268 diagnosed cases of ILI among Dartmouth students. And it appears that the number of new cases has begun to decline slightly. In the second week of the term, from Sept. 28-Oct. 4, there were 104 cases diagnosed. The following week, Oct. 5-11, there were 65 new cases; last week, Oct. 12-18, there were only 33 new cases diagnosed. The majority of the students diagnosed with ILI have developed mild to moderate flu-like symptoms that last for a few days; while a few students spent a night or two at Dick's House, none have been ill enough to be hospitalized at Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center.
While new cases have declined in the past week, it is certainly too soon to say that ILI has run its course at Dartmouth. We continue to monitor new cases and continue to encourage all students diagnosed with ILI to voluntarily isolate themselves until they are free of a fever for at least 24 hours.
I believe that the decreasing number of case are, in part, the result of the diligence of the Dartmouth community in maintaining good personal hygiene, and we continue to encourage all members of our community to practice good hygiene including coughing and sneezing into tissues or sleeves, frequent hand washing, and the use of masks by those with ILI symptoms who may be in contact with others.
H1N1 vaccine
We received an initial allotment, early last week, of the live, attenuated H1N1 vaccine, which comes in the form of a nasal spray. Following the guidelines established by the New Hampshire Division of Public Health Services, that allotment was distributed to health care providers, including some Dartmouth Medical School students, emergency first-responders, and Dartmouth Child Care Center workers who care for young children.
Late last week, we began receiving an allotment of the injectable, "killed" vaccine for distribution to college students who have medical conditions that put them at higher risk for developing complications from an H1N1 infection. The high-risk group, as defined by the Division of Public Health Services, includes:
For students
We will soon be sending an email to Dartmouth students, outlining the Division of Public Health Services’s definition of patients who appear to be at higher risk for developing a more serious H1N1 infection or of developing complications if they get H1N1 influenza. This email will also announce when H1N1 flu shot clinics will be held. Initially, the first clinics, giving only the killed (injectable) vaccine, will be held for students in the higher-risk categories; another clinic will make available the remaining, small amount of live, attenuated (nasal spray) vaccine to all students up to age 24 who are not in the higher-risk group. Appointments for these clinics will be available on the College Health Service web site, and the email will announce when online signups for these clinics begin.
We will make the vaccinations available on a first-come, first-served basis to those in the high-risk categories, and we have only as many doses available as the Division of Public Health Services sends us. We anticipate getting further allotments from the state in future weeks; whenever we get additional doses of the vaccine, we will alert students using the same process I’ve outlined above.
For employees
Other than for health care providers, first-responders, and daycare workers, we do not anticipate receiving additional H1N1 vaccine from the state for employees of the College. Non-students should consult with their primary care physician about the availability of H1N1 vaccine and watch for flu shot clinics around the Upper Valley, expected before the end of the year.
Finally, I have been asked whether I feel the new H1N1 vaccine is "safe and effective," since it is a new vaccine that has been developed, produced, and tested within the last six months. The initial trials done last summer on several thousand volunteers did not demonstrate any evidence of significant adverse effects. The vaccine also appeared to be very effective since, in adults, one shot induced the volunteer's immune systems to produce large amounts of antibodies against the H1N1 vaccine, which should protect one from getting ill from the H1N1 influenza virus.
It is true that only after millions of people receive the vaccine will we know if there are adverse effects. However, we should remember that although the H1N1 infection usually produces a mild illness, there are rare cases of individuals who become seriously ill from the H1N1 influenza and deaths have occurred. At this point it is clear to me that the risk of serious side effects from the vaccine is low, and far lower than the risk of potential complications from an infection caused by the H1N1 influenza virus. Most experts working in the development of new vaccines seem confident that this new vaccine will turn out to be both safe and effective. I strongly recommend that you consider getting the H1N1 vaccine when it becomes available to you.
You can find more information on the H1N1 vaccine at the College Health Service web site.
For regular, weekly updates and information on ILI at Dartmouth, watch the flu information web page.
