Issuu

Since 1960 Volume 85, Issue 41

Monday November 30, 2009

The Student Voice of California State University, Fullerton

INSIDE DT

10,000 H1N1 vaccines ordered

FEATURES:

Ski and snowboard team prepare for season, Page 3

OPINION:

Reality show wannabes crash Obama’s party, Page 4

Courtesy MCt

SPORTS:

Women’s volleyball breaks school record, Page 6

For video highlights of the New Mexico basketball game, visit DailyTitan.com/ mbballvsnmstate09

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We’re telling students, for the first time, don’t go to school. We’re pleading with them to not go to class where they will just get others sick.

Grace Lopez, 22, a sociology major. Hermann insists that the strain is much like the seasonal one and said the immunizations are made the same, with a deactivated virus. “The virus is deactivated, so you cannot get sick from it like many people think ... The deactivated virus allows the immune system to recognize it and create the antibodies against it,” Hermann said. Other students are accepting the shot like any other. “I'm not really scared of the swine flu, but I got the normal shot last year. Sure I'd take the shot if it were free. It's just an extra precaution this year,” said Linda Nguyen, 25, an Asian American studies major. According to Hermann and the CDC, 99 percent of flu cases in the U.S. are of the H1N1 virus. Hermann said they have just quit testing due to the overwhelming probability. Because both the symptoms and treatment of the flu, of the seasonal or swine variety, are nearly identical, Hermann suggests that students implement the usual home remedies and not visit their doctor. “If you have a healthy immune system like most people, it will fight this flu like any other. We're telling students, for the first time, don't go to school. We're pleading with them to not go to class where they will just get others sick,” Hermann said. She said the same principle applies at the health center. “Don't go to your doctor unless you have some underlying problem that needs attention,” Hermann said. The only treatment is rest, clear fluids and over-the-counter fever reducers. “Do not return to school until your fever has been gone for a full 24 hours. If you were sick for seven days, you should be out of school for eight,” Hermann said.

Reactions

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I personally won’t be taking any free swine flu shot due to the fact that it is a new vaccine which has not been studied well enough. I met someone who got the shot and ended up in the hospital with bronchitis. Maybe she just had a weak immune system, but I’d rather just not take any shots.

– Grace Lopez,

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Sociology major

The virus is deactivated, so you cannot get sick from it like many people think ... The deactivated virus allows the immune system to recognize it and create the antibodies against it. – Mary Hermann,

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ONLINE:

In response to the 32 lives claimed by the H1N1 influenza pandemic in Orange County, Cal State Fullerton ordered 10,000 “swine flu” shots for the Student Health and Counseling Center. The immunizations will be provided to students, free of charge, at a shot clinic on campus in conjunction with the nursing department. One hundred of the 10,000 immunizations arrived last week and were administered to those on the “top tier” of campus priority, said Mary Hermann, director of Health, Education and Promotion. “We had to vaccinate our entire medical personnel first. If we all get sick, there would be no one here to treat students,” Hermann said. CSUF police were the next highest priority because, “We need our first responders,” Hermann said. Because of the national shortage of the vaccine, only 1 percent of the order placed by CSUF was filled. Hermann said the SHCC hopes to receive another shipment from Orange County within weeks and said a shot clinic could be arranged in days. “If the shots arrived on a Tuesday, we could possibly be ready to immunize students by Thursday,” Hermann said. The date of delivery and the size of the boxes received will determine when the free clinic will take place and how many students can be served. “We're only able to give based on what we receive, so we will accommodate the CDC's (The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) recommended priority population first,” Hermann said. The first group the director named was students with underlying health problems. She said these were pre-existing conditions that have the poten-

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tial to complicate the H1N1 flu and be accommodated. Instead, the clinic included asthma, diabetes and other will likely be held in the Titan Student chronic illnesses. Union Pavilions. Student-parents are another high“This is a collaboration that will need group. Caretakers of children help everyone involved,” Hermann under 6 months old or younger and said. pregnant women are at high risk for Department of Nursing Chair contracting H1N1, according to Cindy Greenberg wants students to CDC. know that “individuals who are ad“If you've seen on the news, a lot of ministering the vaccines are familiar the ones dying from this flu are young with the procedures and have done children, so it's important our little this before.” guys don't get it,” Hermann said. “This isn't an experiment; this isn't Lastly, she said first-priority im- the first time the students are giving munizations will vaccines,” Greenbe given to all berg said of the students living on student nurses campus because who will particiof the heightened pate in the onrisk living in close campus clinic. quarters with so Greenberg said many others. students can trust After those who the immunizafall in one of the tions from fellow higher-risk categostudents like any ries are inoculated, other shot. the remaining sup“We have stuply of H1N1 vacdents who help – Mary Hermann, with immunizacines will be made Director of Health, available to any tion clinics for the Education and Promotion student on camseasonal flu every pus. year and 21 who The immuniare going to a flu zations will be provided with no fee, clinic today,” Greenberg said. courtesy of the federal government, Hermann urges students to seek inand administered free by students en- oculation to prevent illness while the rolled in the nursing department at seasonal flu “truly is seasonal and has CSUF, according to Hermann. a clear window between the months “Student nurses will administer the of November and February,” she said. vaccines, but an MD (medical doctor) “H1N1 threw everyone for a loop,” will be there supervising and students when it hit the United States in April receiving the vaccines will know that and continued through the summer another student is giving them the season. shot and they will sign a waiver,” Her“I personally won't be taking any mann said. free swine flu shot due to the fact that Hermann said the SHCC did not it is a new vaccine which has not been want to shut its doors to students for studied well enough. I met someone more days than the furloughs already who got the shot and ended up in the demanded. If the shot clinic were to be hospital with bronchitis. Maybe she provided by health center staff in the just had a weak immune system, but facility, no other appointments could I'd rather just not take any shots,” said

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By Nicole Park

Daily Titan Staff Writer

Director of Health, Education and Promotion