Emergency Guidelines for the Campus Community

H1N1 Influenza

December 1, 2009 E-Mail to Campus Community

To: Princeton faculty, staff and students
From: University Health Services and Environmental Health and Safety
Re: H1N1 flu vaccine clinic on Dec. 3 for eligible students and employees
Date: 12/1/09

The University has additional doses of the H1N1 flu vaccine available and will hold another vaccination clinic on Thursday, Dec. 3, in multipurpose rooms A and B of the Frist Campus Center for eligible faculty, staff, students and their dependents. All eligible students and employees are encouraged to get vaccinated. Please read this e-mail for information about who is eligible to be vaccinated, clinic times, documentation required for vaccination and vaccine costs.
 
Eligibility for vaccination

The following faculty, staff, students and dependents will be eligible to receive the H1N1 flu vaccine at the Dec. 3 clinic, according to the health priority guidelines established by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Dependents eligible for vaccination are spouses, domestic partners and children of students and employees.

--All faculty, staff, students and dependents 10 to 24 years old.

--Faculty, staff, students and dependents who are pregnant. Women must present documentation from a healthcare provider confirming their pregnancy.

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

--Faculty, staff, students and dependents 25 to 64 years old with pre-existing medical conditions that may put them at higher risk for flu complications. High risk medical conditions include asthma, diabetes, heart disease, kidney disease and compromised immune systems. In order to be vaccinated, individuals must present documentation of their pre-existing medical condition in the form of a prescription or a note signed by their healthcare provider. Students who have already identified themselves to UHS as high risk do not need to provide additional documentation. An example of an acceptable note may be downloaded from the University's H1N1 website at: http://web.princeton.edu/sites/emergency/swineflu/HealthcareProviderLetter.doc.

Clinic times

The Dec. 3 vaccine clinic will open at 10 a.m. and will remain open until all available doses have been given or until 4:45 p.m. There are no appointments necessary, and vaccines will be administered on a first-come, first-served basis.

Please note that lines were longest during the first hour of previous clinics held by the University. While supplies continue to be limited, the University was able to vaccinate all individuals who came to previous clinics. In addition to the injectible form of the vaccine, the University will have a limited supply of the nasal spray vaccine available at the Dec. 3 clinic.

Documentation required for vaccination

In order to be vaccinated, individuals must bring their University ID card and their insurance card to the clinic, as well as cash or a check to cover the administrative fee for individuals who are not covered by a University insurance plan.

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. Individuals who have the following health insurance plans are covered for the vaccine and may receive the H1N1 vaccine at no cost: the University's Student Health Plan, Aetna insurance plans and United Healthcare insurance plans.

Individuals who are not covered by one of these insurance plans may be charged a $15 fee to cover the administrative costs of distributing the vaccine, depending on their insurance. Students and employees may submit a receipt to private insurance companies for reimbursement, and financial assistance is available for students who are unable to pay the fee.

General information about H1N1 vaccine distribution

A small quantity of vaccine doses first became available to the University in late October, and UHS held H1N1 vaccine clinics on Nov. 4, 10, 16 and 24 for eligible students, employees and dependents according to the CDC's health priority guidelines. Following the Dec. 3 clinic, the University must await more information from the state about when further vaccine shipments may be distributed in order to determine when additional vaccine clinics may be scheduled.

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.

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: 01-Dec-2009 11:53 AM
Web page comments or errors: Robin Izzo.