Emergency Guidelines for the Campus Community

H1N1 Influenza

November 18, 2009 E-Mail to Students

To: Princeton undergraduate and graduate students
From: University Health Services and Environmental Health and Safety
Re: Next H1N1 flu vaccine clinic for eligible students, Nov. 24
Date: 11/18/09

University Health Services will hold another H1N1 flu vaccine clinic for eligible students and student dependents on Tuesday, Nov. 24, in the Frist Campus Center, multipurpose rooms A and B. Students and dependents ages 10 to 24 years old are among the priority health groups eligible to receive the vaccine and students are strongly encouraged to get vaccinated to prevent illness from H1N1 flu. Please read this e-mail for information about documentation required for vaccination and vaccine costs, as well as who is eligible to receive the vaccine. 

Clinic times

The Nov. 24 vaccine clinic will open at 10 a.m. and will remain open until all available doses have been given or until 5 p.m., whichever comes first. There are no appointments necessary, and vaccines will be administered on a first-come, first-served basis.

Documentation required for vaccination

Students and their dependents must bring the following items to the H1N1 vaccine clinic on Nov. 24:

--University ID card
--Insurance card, whether the Aetna Student Health Plan or another private insurance company
--$15 cash or check if not on the Student Health Plan. Credit cards are not accepted.
--Additional documentation for pregnant students, infant caregivers or individuals with pre-existing medical conditions who have not previously disclosed this information to UHS. (Pregnant women must present documentation from a healthcare provider confirming their pregnancy, caregivers must present the baby's birth certificate as confirmation, and pre-existing conditions must be documented as outlined below)

Students who do not bring the proper documents to the clinic will not be vaccinated.

H1N1 vaccine costs

The federal government is providing doses of the H1N1 vaccine free of cost; however, there are administrative costs associated with distributing the vaccine.

Any student or eligible student dependent who is on the University's Student Health Plan may receive the H1N1 vaccine from the University at no cost. 

Individuals who are not on the student health plan may be charged a nominal fee of $15 (cash or check) to cover the administrative costs of distributing the vaccine, depending on their insurance. Students may submit a receipt to private insurance companies for reimbursement. If a student is unable to pay the fee, financial assistance will be available by contacting Jan Runkle at UHS at (609) 258-3555.

Students eligible to receive the vaccine

The following students and student dependents will be eligible to receive the vaccine at the Nov. 24 clinic, as per guidelines established by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC): 

--All students and their dependents 10 to 24 years old.

--All students or student dependents who are pregnant. Women must present documentation from a healthcare provider confirming their pregnancy.

--Students and their dependents who are caregivers of babies less than 6 months old. Caregivers must present the baby's birth certificate as confirmation.

--Students and dependents 25 to 64 years old with pre-existing medical conditions that may put them at higher risk for flu complications. Students with pre-existing medical conditions should have already identified themselves to UHS. Students who have not done so already will need to bring documentation to the vaccine clinic from a healthcare provider in order to be placed on UHS' list of high risk students.

Please note that only the injectible form of the H1N1 vaccine will be available at the clinic. The injectible vaccine is approved for use in all of the groups listed above, including pregnant women.

General information about H1N1 vaccine distribution

In addition to students, faculty, staff and their dependents that also fall under the CDC health priority groups outlined above will be eligible to receive the H1N1 flu vaccine at the Nov. 24 clinic. A separate e-mail has been sent to faculty and staff with vaccine information.

As previously explained, because the state will distribute limited doses of the H1N1 vaccine in staggered shipments, most providers, including the University, will not be able to provide vaccinations to all eligible groups during the same time period. Also, given the limited quantities, we regret that the University is not able to offer the H1N1 vaccine to all members of our community at this time.

The University must await more information from the state about when further vaccine shipments may be distributed in order to determine when the vaccine can be offered to the remainder of the student and employee population who do not fall under the groups listed above.

For more information, visit the University's H1N1 web page:
http://web.princeton.edu/sites/emergency/swineflu/.

For specific questions about vaccine safety, visit the Vaccine FAQs on the H1N1 web page:
http://web.princeton.edu/sites/emergency/swineflu/faq-health.html

Last update: 21-Dec-2009 12:33 PM
Web page comments or errors: Robin Izzo.