UPDATED DECEMBER 10, 2009

Dear MU faculty and staff,

It's not too late! Why wait!  Millersville University has the H1N1 vaccine and with another round of flu likely this winter, now is the time to get vaccinated.

Millersville University was fortunate to receive 2,000 doses of the H1N1 vaccine.   Three afternoon vaccination clinics were held prior to the Thanksgiving holiday. Health Services staff is now immunizing by appointments at the Health Services Center. To date 1,009 vaccines have been administered. We have had no reports of serious side effects.

We are glad that many students, faculty and staff chose to receive these free vaccinations.   We are also very concerned that many students chose not to receive the H1N1 vaccine. Some students are citing the "cheerleader dystonia video on YouTube" as one of the primary reasons. We have viewed the YouTube video and have researched the allegations made in the video.  According to William Weiner, M.D., Professor and Chairman of Neurology at the University of Maryland School of Medicine and Director of the Maryland Parkinson's Disease and Movement Disorders Center, and many other medical officials, the symptoms displayed in the video are more psychogenic in nature and not due to the seasonal vaccine that the woman in the video had obtained.

To date, Millersville University Health Services has seen 109 students with influenza like illnesses and 3l students with positive flu tests since mid August 2009. Please keep in mind that not all students with the flu are seen at Health Services and that influenza has been diagnosed in on-campus  and off-campus students alike. We are therefore continuing to recommend the H1N1 vaccine to all students under the age of 24; and as always we recommend frequent hand washing, use of alcohol based hand sanitizers, coughing/sneezing into tissue or elbow, and isolating and staying home when ill.

Why receive the H1N1 vaccine?

1)  It is as safe and effective as regular flu shots. This is a "killed virus," not a live virus.  It was developed by the same manufacturers as the regular flu vaccine via the same methods.  The vaccine was successfully clinically tested. 

2)  Influenza cases in vaccinated healthy adults <65 years old can be reduced by 70 to 90% in years when the vaccine and circulating viruses are well matched. Several studies also found reductions in febrile illness, absenteeism, antibiotic use and doctor visits.

3)  H1N1 swine flu has killed an estimated 3,900 Americans from April to October 2009 including more than 500 children.  It has infected an estimated 22 million Americans.  It has led to approximately 98,000 H1N1 related hospitalizations. Seasonal influenza has been estimated to contribute to the deaths of 36,000 Americans every year.

4)  H1N1 hits people under age 24 the hardest.  49.6% of H1N1 occurs in this age group.  Hospitalizations rates are also higher in this age group, with children ages 0 to 4 most vulnerable.

5)  20% of total deaths from H1N1 are in the age group from 0 to 24.

6)  Immunizing our MU community protects all of us, including those with higher risk due to underlying illnesses.

7)  A second wave of H1N1 influenza is predicted for early February, 2010.

8)  Students with this flu may miss 5 to 7 days of classes with high fever, body aches, and coughs.  Some may miss even more school due to secondary bacterial infections.  This is not a "mild" flu where students can still work on their school work or text! Students teachers, athletes, and all students certainly do not want to miss a week or more of next semester or to infect others.

We will continue to offer H1N1 vaccine to all our  MU students, faculty, staff and administration. We are presently unable to offer it to anyone else at this time.  Please strongly consider getting vaccinated with the H1N1 vaccine if you have not already done so.   Students, please encourage each other. Faculty, staff and administration, please encourage our students to become vaccinated and get your own vaccinations. Parents, please encourage your sons and daughters to get their free  H1N1 vaccinations at Millersville and get your own H1N1 vaccinations from your family doctors when they become available.

Please call Health Services soon at 717-872-3250 to schedule your H1N1 vaccination appointment.  Bring your MU identification and wear a shirt/blouse that allows upper arm access. If we do not use our allotted H1N1 vaccine soon, we will return it so that others may benefit from it. Thank you for your consideration.

Why wait! It's not too late!

Sincerely,

Susan F. Northwall, D.O., Medical Director
Jenny Monn, FNP, Nurse Practitioner
Millersville University Health Services

Related Links:

• CDC website about Swine Flu
• MU Health Services