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Archive of CSB/SJU communications regarding H1N1
August 21, 2009
Dear Members of the CSB/SJU/OSB Communities,
In light of much recent national public health focus on the H1N1 influenza virus (formerly referred to as “Swine Flu”), we are writing to provide an update on related preparations underway at CSB/SJU/OSB. Colleges and universities around the country have been encouraged by federal, state and local authorities to have plans in place to prepare for and respond to an influenza pandemic. We take these cautions seriously and are actively planning for a variety of contingencies that could impact employee and student health and safety.
We continue to encourage all employees to follow the guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) which recommends frequent hand washing and use of hand sanitizers, covering coughs and sneezes with a tissue, and avoiding contact with those who are sick. The CDC is also recommending the seasonal flu vaccine as a precautionary measure. All CSB, SJU, and OSB employees are encouraged to speak with their personal health care provider regarding their need for a seasonal flu vaccine or for the H1N1 vaccine as it becomes available. In addition, CSB, SJU, and OSB employees may use the Health Partners Clinic-Saint John's Campus or other health care providers located in St. Cloud. We urge any employee who is experiencing symptoms associated with the virus to contact his or her health care provider and to stay home from work, as advised by his or her physician, in order to avoid the potential spread of illness.
Administration of the H1N1 vaccine will be determined by the CDC and the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) as the vaccine becomes available. On August 17, MDH reported the following:
“The H1N1 vaccine situation is fluid. The federal government is working with five vaccine manufacturers to develop and produce H1N1 vaccine in several preparations, including preservative-free. However, the final decision to use the vaccine has not yet been made. A limited amount of vaccine may be available as soon as late September. Ultimately, it is possible that our biggest challenge will not be a limited quantity of vaccine, but rather the capacity to administer a large quantity of vaccine.
CDC's Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) has developed recommendations on who should receive vaccine against novel H1N1 influenza when/if it becomes available. These include health care and emergency medical personnel, pregnant women, parents and caretakers of children younger than 6 months of age, persons between the ages of 6 months through 24 years, and adults age 25 through 64 with chronic health problems. See http://www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu/vaccination/acip.htm.”
CSB Student Vaccine Options
- Seasonal Flu Vaccine: Effective immediately, CSB students can receive a seasonal flu vaccine at CSB Health Services by scheduling an appointment. Seasonal flu vaccine clinics will also be scheduled and students will receive information regarding the clinics via e-mail and posters on bulletin boards. To schedule an individual appointment for a seasonal flu vaccine or other health concerns, students should contact CSB Health Services at ext. 5605.
- H1N1 Flu Vaccine: CSB Health Services will heed the recommendations of MDH with regard to the H1N1 vaccine and is currently applying to receive the vaccine in order for it to be administered on campus.
SJU Student Vaccine Options
- Seasonal Flu Vaccine: SJU Students can receive the seasonal flu vaccine at the HealthPartners Clinic - Saint John's Campus by scheduling an appointment Monday thru Friday between the hours of 8 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. The HealthPartners clinic is a fee for service clinic that welcomes all major insurances.
- H1N1 Flu Vaccine: SJU students can receive the H1N1 vaccine as it becomes available at Health Partners Clinic-Saint John’s Campus or at other health care providers located in St. Cloud.
We are actively monitoring information and recommendations regarding the H1N1 flu and influenza-like illnesses. Coordination and communication are some of our strongest tools in addressing this situation. We will keep you apprised of any news and guidance as it becomes available from local, state and national resources.
If you have additional questions or concerns, you are encouraged to discuss them with your supervisor. Faculty members should direct any questions or concerns to Dave Lyndgaard.
Thank you,
Carol Abell, CSB/SJU Director of Human Resources
Jan Jahnke, OSB Human Resources Manager
Emergency Health Planning Steering Committee
(Jon McGee, Jody Terhaar, Mike Connolly, Patti Epsky, and Emily Cook)
May 5, 2009
Dear Members of the Saint Ben’s and Saint John’s Communities,
State health officials have announced that their response to the novel H1N1 influenza virus is moving into a new phase, with a new approach to tracking the illness and new recommendations for handling potential flu cases in schools. Minnesota Department of Health officials are making these changes based on the observation that – in terms of severity – H1N1 seems to be behaving more like regular, seasonal influenza.
At this time, the campuses of Saint Ben’s and Saint John’s continue to operate as usual. All scheduled activities and events, including Commencement, will take place as currently planned.
Please note, while the Minnesota Department of Health emphasizes that even if H1N1 now seems to more closely resemble seasonal flu, it is still important to follow standard recommendations for preventing the spread of germs that cause illnesses like the flu:
- Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue when coughing or sneezing. It may prevent those around you from getting sick.
- Avoid close contact with people who are sick. When you are sick, keep your distance from others to protect them from getting sick too. If you experience flu-like symptoms – a fever of 100 F or higher, runny nose, cough, respiratory congestion – we ask that you stay home from work or school to keep from making others ill.
- Wash your hands often to protect yourself from germs. Antiseptic hand cleaners have been put public places around the campuses for your use in case soap and water are not available to you.
- Avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth. Germs are often spread when a person touches something that is contaminated with germs and then touches his or her eyes, nose, or mouth.
- Practice other good health habits. Keep yourself strong – and more resistant to disease – by getting plenty of sleep, staying physically active, managing stress, drinking plenty of fluids and eating nutritious food.
If you are ill or experiencing flu-like symptoms, please contact a health care provider. For a complete listing of area health providers and information related to on-campus health transportation, visit our Web site .
We will continue to provide information to you from the CDC and the Minnesota Department of Health as it becomes available.
If you would like additional information about the H1N1 novel influenza virus, please see the weblinks below. As always, if there is an emergency situation, call 911 or CSB Security at ext. 5000 or SJU Life Safety at ext. 2144.
Thank you,
Lori Klapperich
Jean Donnay
Ganard Orionzi
Counseling & Health Promotion
Nurse Practitioner, CSB
Environmental Health & Safety
May 1, 2009
Important H1N1 Flu Update
Dear Members of the Saint Ben’s and Saint John’s Communities,
As you know, testing by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) confirmed that the illness of a Minnesota resident was caused by the H1N1 novel influenza virus. The person who became ill with the virus has ties to Rocori Middle School in Cold Spring. The Middle School is closed until Wednesday and the rest of the 2,200-student Rocori district is running normally and attendance has been about normal at the high school and three elementary schools.
At this time, the campuses of Saint Ben’s and Saint John’s are operating as usual. All scheduled activities and events, including Commencement, will take place as currently planned.
This continues to be an evolving situation that we are closely monitoring. While there is no imminent danger to our community, we will continue to provide information to you from the CDC and the Minnesota Department of Health as it becomes available.
The following sensible precautions from the Minnesota Department of Health can help prevent the spread of germs that cause illnesses like the flu:
- Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue when coughing or sneezing. It may prevent those around you from getting sick.
- Avoid close contact with people who are sick. When you are sick, keep your distance from others to protect them from getting sick too. If you experience flu-like symptoms – a fever of 100 F or higher, runny nose, cough, respiratory congestion – we ask that you stay home from work or school to keep from making others ill. If you have questions about how you are feeling, you should contact a health care provider.
- Wash your hands often to protect yourself from germs. Antiseptic hand cleaners have been put public places around the campuses for your use in case soap and water are not available to you.
- Avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth. Germs are often spread when a person touches something that is contaminated with germs and then touches his or her eyes, nose, or mouth.
- Practice other good health habits. Keep yourself strong – and more resistant to disease – by getting plenty of sleep, staying physically active, managing stress, drinking plenty of fluids and eating nutritious food.
If you are ill or experiencing flu-like symptoms, please contact a health care provider. For a complete listing of area health providers and information related to on-campus health transportation, visit our Health Web site or the CSB/SJU H1N1 Flu Web site.
Please be assured that we are monitoring this situation very carefully and will act quickly as we receive new information. If you would like additional information about the H1N1 novel influenza virus, please see the web links below. As always, if there is an emergency situation, call 911 or CSB Security at ext. 5000 or SJU Life Safety at ext. 2144.
We appreciate your cooperation.
| Lori Klapperich | Jean Donnay | Ganard Orionzi |
| Counseling & Health Promotion | Nurse Practitioner, CSB | Environmental Health & Safety |
http://www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu/key_facts.htm
http://www.health.state.mn.us/divs/idepc/diseases/flu/swine/index.html
April 30, 2009
The Minnesota Department of Health, today, announced the confirmation of test results, conducted by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, for the H1N1 (swine) flue virus of a person with ties to the Rocori Middle School and the nearby community of Cold Spring, Minn.
We will continue to monitor this sutiation closely and remain effectively engaged with the CSB/SJU Emergency Management Teams.
April 29, 2009
Dear Members of the Saint Ben’s and Saint John’s Communities,
The Stearns County Health Department has notified us that the Minnesota Department of Health has identified the state’s first probable case of swine (H1N1) flu in Stearns County. It is likely that you are already aware of this from the local media.
Here is what we know at this time. The Rocori Middle School and St. Boniface Elementary School in Cold Spring have closed voluntarily as a precautionary measure. The individual in question experienced influenza-like symptoms and is recovering at home. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) will test a specimen to determine whether the individual has swine flu.
We have activated our CSB/SJU task force to monitor the situation closely and will keep you informed of developments and any actions that we may subsequently deem necessary. As this is a rapidly evolving situation, we recommend that you rely on information from credible sources such as the links on the right and be wary of unsubstantiated rumors. For updates and information about how the college and university are responding to this situation please continue to check our CSB/SJU Web site.
The Minnesota Department of Health recommends several everyday actions you can take to stay healthy:
- Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue when coughing or sneezing. It may prevent those around you from getting sick.
- Avoid close contact with people who are sick. When you are sick, keep your distance from others to protect them from getting sick too.
- Wash your hands often to protect yourself from germs.
- Avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth. Germs are often spread when a person touches something that is contaminated with germs and then touches his or her eyes, nose, or mouth.
- Practice other good health habits. Keep yourself strong – and more resistant to disease – by getting plenty of sleep, staying physically active, managing stress, drinking plenty of fluids and eating nutritious food.
If you experience flu-like symptoms – a fever of 100 F or higher, runny nose, cough, respiratory congestion – we ask that you stay home from work or school and contact a health care provider. We remind you that the SJU Health Center and St. Joseph CentraCare Clinic are local providers available to our campus communities.
Influenza is thought to spread mainly person-to-person through coughing or sneezing of infected people. For your convenience, hand sanitizers have been provided in common areas of our campuses.
If you would like additional information about swine flu, please see the Web links in the right-hand sidebar.
We appreciate your cooperation.
| Lori Klapperich | Jean Donnay | Ganard Orionzi |
| Counseling & Health Promotion | Nurse Practitioner, CSB | Environmental Health & Safety |
April 28, 2009
Dear Member of the Saint Ben’s and Saint John’s Communities,
The U.S. Center for Disease Control (CDC) has issued a nationwide public health emergency involving Swine Influenza A. This new strain of flu has infected more than 1,000 people in Mexico and has spread to the United States, where new cases are being diagnosed each day. Today, the CDC recommended no non-essential travel to Mexico. Thus far, no cases have been identified in Minnesota.
This is a rapidly evolving situation that we are closely monitoring. While there is no imminent danger to our community, we will continue to provide information to you from the CDC and the Minnesota Department of Health as it becomes available.
There is no vaccine available now to protect against swine flu. However, the following sensible precautions from the Minnesota Department of Health can help prevent the spread of germs that cause illnesses like the flu:
- Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue when coughing or sneezing. It may prevent those around you from getting sick.
- Avoid close contact with people who are sick. When you are sick, keep your distance from others to protect them from getting sick too. If you experience flu-like symptoms – a fever of 100 F or higher, runny nose, cough, respiratory congestion – we ask that you stay home from work or school to keep from making others ill. If you have questions about how you are feeling, you should contact a health care provider.
- Wash your hands often to protect yourself from germs. We will provide antiseptic hand cleaner in public places around the campuses.
- Avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth. Germs are often spread when a person touches something that is contaminated with germs and then touches his or her eyes, nose, or mouth.
- Practice other good health habits. Keep yourself strong – and more resistant to disease – by getting plenty of sleep, staying physically active, managing stress, drinking plenty of fluids and eating nutritious food.
Please know that we are monitoring this situation very carefully and will act quickly as we receive new information. If you would like additional information about swine flu, please see the Web links in the right-hand side bar.
We appreciate your cooperation.
| MaryAnn Baenninger | Dan Whalen |
| President, College of Saint Benedict | Interim President, Saint John's University |
Diane Hageman |
Michael Hemmesch |