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Written by: By Daniel Caponetti
It has been three months since the first case of the H1N1 virus hit Bentley’s campus. Since then, the university has seen over 250 cases. Although media attention for the virus has faded, Bentley’s Center for Health and Wellness wants students to know that the H1N1 should still be a serious concern for students.
According to an e-mail sent to the Bentley community last week, health officials are concerned that a third wave of H1N1 influenza could arrive in the next few weeks.
With this in mind, the Center for Health and Wellness is preparing to handle more cases in the near future. These preparations include the distribution of vaccinations to the entire Bentley community.
Geraldine Taylor, Assistant Dean for Health and Wellness, and other staff members have worked hard in past months to obtain vaccinations for Bentley students, faculty, and staff. According to Taylor, the center can now provide the entire school campus with vaccines.
So far, the center has given out 600 doses, but Taylor says that she would like that number to be higher. Appointments for vaccinations are easy to make and readily available.
Those who elect to receive the vaccination should not worry about waiting a long time in the office, either. The Center has handled appointments efficiently in the past week, vaccinating thirty-seven patients. Additionally, vaccinated patients have experienced no side effects.
Another bonus for the Bentley community is that the vaccinations are free as long as the Center for Health and Wellness can continue to accommodate appointments. They have stated that they are going to take care of sick students first, and should they not be able to keep up with the demand for vaccinations, Bentley will hire an outside source to handle the vaccinations. Organizations like these tend to charge an administration fee of twelve to fifteen dollars.
If a third wave of H1N1 does arrive in the next few weeks, procedures for handling sick students will be different from the fall semester. Last fall, students with “flu-like illnesses” were encouraged to either go home or live in an isolated room until they were well. This semester, however, more students need housing, which means that rooms once used for isolation now house permanent students.
Another problem is that the third wave could coincide with the seasonal flu season. Since both forms of the flu are similar, it will be unreasonable for the center to send home every student with flu-like symptoms. This makes students responsible for isolating themselves, which could mean kicking out roommates.
Students may find policies like these annoying in the weeks to come, but the issue of attending class is something students have been struggling with for the entire year. The center has asked for professors’ cooperation in being flexible with student absences, and many have agreed to do so. However, some professors are remaining stringent on attendance policies.
In some classes, students will lose points even if they miss class because of an illness. This makes students hesitant to miss classes because they do not want to see their grades hurt.
When ill students attend class, it only contributes to the spread of viruses like H1N1. In light of this, the Center for Health and Wellness is lobbying for the right for sick students to miss class without penalty.
The Center is discouraging students from being “complacent” towards the virus. The media attention that the virus received during last year has dwindled, but that has not lessened the virus’ severity.
In addition to the vaccinations, simple, healthy practices can lessen the spread of the virus. These practices include regularly washing hands, sneezing into a shoulder or tissue, and refusing to share drinks or smoking materials with others.
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