Students will only have two days to receive the flu vaccination at Sacramento State this season, since the California Department of Health Services has ordered the Student Health Center and all health care providers to limit administering the vaccine to high-risk individuals.

The Student Health Center will hold a clinic in its main building Nov. 4 and, if there is any left, will have another clinic Nov. 5 where people will be heavily screened to ensure they are eligible to receive the vaccination.

Darlene Spencer, clinic manager of the Student Health Connection, said the health center must follow strict guidelines when administering the vaccine because it could face legal ramifications if it fails to comply.

"This isn't a health center decision, this is a state order," Spencer said. "People who don't abide by it can be penalized."

According to the California Department of Health Services, those considered in the high risk category are young children aged 6 to 23 months, children on serious aspirin therapy, adults more than 65 years old, people with chronic medical conditions, pregnant women, health care workers and residents of nursing homes.

"Everyone that comes in will be screened. It's based upon whether they fit these categories," Spencer said. "People who are generally well individuals will not qualify for the vaccine."

Spencer said that not even all the staff members at the Student Health Center will qualify for the vaccine, as it will only be given to those who interact directly with patients. Most nursing students would meet these criteria, Spencer said, as many are considered health care workers who conduct clinical rotations with patients.

Asthma sufferers will also be screened in detail, Spencer said, as the vaccination will only be given to those who use medication and have experienced recent attacks.

Janet Dumonchelle, Student Health Center pharmacist in charge, said the health center initially ordered 1,100 doses and ended up receiving only 550.

"We were fortunate to get what we got. They put us on the waiting list and they were able to promise us half of what we wanted," Dumonchelle said.

Spencer said last year the Student Health Center received 1,000 doses and almost ran out.

The Student Health Center received a delay in flu vaccine supply because it had to switch manufacturers and the company it ordered from, Chiron Corporation, was unable to distribute the vaccine because of a failure to meet health standards by regulatory authorities in the United States and the United Kingdom.

Aventis-Pasteur, a Canadian-based vaccine company, is now providing the Student Health Center with the flu vaccination.

Robert Miller, California Department of Health Services spokesman, said the Chiron Corporation contributes 40 percent of the state's flu vaccination doses. Miller said it is hard to say what the effects of the shortages will be as it is still early in the flu season.

Miller said the Federal Health Department and the Centers for Disease Control are working together to prevent situations like these from occurring in the future.

The Sacramento County Department of Health Services received 6,380 doses of the vaccine to distribute to high-risk groups. Miller said the three factors used to determine how many doses should be distributed to each county are population size, past usage of the vaccine and an estimate of the number of people that are considered high risk.

Glennah Trochet, public health officer for the Sacramento County Health Department, said it has not distributed its dosages yet. Trochet said that while in the past Sacramento County reserves the vaccine for people without insurance or with a low income, this year it too will follow the strict guidelines.

Trochet suggests that healthy students wanting to get vaccinated could get the nasal spray FluMist, which is a live viral vaccine. FluMist is only licensed for people without underlying health problems and it is available from many pharmacies, Trochet said.

Spencer said the best way to prevent the flu this season is to have good hygiene by using a hand sanitizer, and to be cautious when sharing objects like pens or utensils.

"We're hoping people who are sick stay home, and that's going to be a controversial thing on campus because a lot of people are penalized attendance wise, but it's not a great idea to come to school when you are sick," Spencer said.

Article Tools