<p>I wonder how this is going to work in our school district. Some schools currently have a policy that if you miss class whether it is from illness or a school event ( like performing at Carnegie Hall), you will get a zero unless made up. However, some teachers do not provide any opportunities to make it up. So my neighbors son was in school for the month that he had mono because he was afraid to miss class.</p>
<p>H1N1 isn’t really that big a deal…it’s just the flu.</p>
<p>My school is really up on it to make sure it doesn’t really spread. If you have symptoms, they quarantine you til you’ve been tested. They also handed out hand sanitizer to all the students in the dorms. There have only been like 20 cases here because of this.</p>
<p>^you must not be in Washington state.</p>
<p>
[As</a> H1N1 Spreads, Colleges Across the Nation Prepare | The Cornell Daily Sun](<a href=“http://cornellsun.com/section/news/content/2009/09/21/h1n1-spreads-colleges-across-nation-prepare]As”>http://cornellsun.com/section/news/content/2009/09/21/h1n1-spreads-colleges-across-nation-prepare)</p>
<p>WSU got hit and hit HARD. On the other hand, the private WA university where my sister works has had only sporadic cases. A lot of people who went to PAX, the video game expo held in Seattle, got swine flu so I wouldn’t be surprised if they carried it back to various schools (lots of college aged kids at PAX), especially Washington schools. I haven’t seen it on my CC campus yet, though.</p>
<p>emeraldkitty - I’m in NY…but my school has been prepping for MONTHS, and it’s small (only about 3400 undergrad+grad) which is why they were able to quarantine people and prevent the spread.</p>
<p>For those considering the h1n1 vaccine, you should research its ingredients thimerosal and squalene.</p>
<p>I am concerned about my oldest daughter and her attitude about the vaccine. She has asthma and is actually experiencing difficulties with it now that she has moved to LA. I don’t think it is any joke for people to get the H1N1. I also have asthma and plan to get the vaccine. I know from experience that if I get a cold that settles in my chest, it means a trip to the hospital and immediately taking prednisone…
I am not as concerned about my other family members because they are not at risk as much as we are.</p>
<p>For those of you who think it is hype and nothing more than a flu YOU ARE IGNORANT!
THIS IS A FLU that most of us have no type of immunity to. The younger college age population certainly has no immunity simply because you have not lived long enough. As for thinking this is “no big deal” all I can say is, do you have any idea how dangerous this is to ANYONE who is in the high risk group? Please stay away from MY CHILD who can die if this virus was contracted.</p>
<p>People DIE from the regular flu too…</p>
<p>For those considering the h1n1 vaccine, you should research its ingredients thimerosal and squalene.</p>
<p>Estrella, I think many people do evaluate vaccines on a case by case basis- however preservatives in vaccines are necessary, wouldn’t you agree?
[Thimerosal</a> in Vaccines](<a href=“http://www.fda.gov/BiologicsBloodVaccines/SafetyAvailability/VaccineSafety/UCM096228]Thimerosal”>Thimerosal and Vaccines | FDA)</p>
<p>The reported numbers can be much lower than actual cases. Massachusetts reports something like 1,300 cases of H1N1 but my kids reports seeing a lot of sick students at their campuses. For most people, the flu is not a huge deal - a major inconvenience but not life-threatening. Two in one season would be a pain. The flu went through our household last spring and this fall. The kids are already over it, just the parents have lingering symptoms which I expect to go away completely in a few weeks.</p>
<p>My kids do not share food or beverages (they’ve been germ freaks all their lives), but they won’t get flu shots either since that guarantees them to get serious ill each vaccine. They do better taking their chances, as advised by all their docs and avoidingthe flu shots. </p>
<p>Hopefully they will be able to stay healthy anyway. We think D was exposed to H1N1 this summer when her friends came down with it. We’re not sure whether S was also exposed with his summer friends & co-workers.</p>
<p>For those who get bad flares/illness from flu shots, whether or not to get a flu shot is something that needs to be thoroughly discussed with docs & patients rather than just lining up with everyone to get the shot. There is always a risk/benefit analysis that helps inform the decision.</p>
<p>There have been 545 deaths due to “influenza and pneumonia” in the last week
See [CDC</a> - Seasonal Influenza (Flu) - Weekly Report: Influenza Summary Update](<a href=“http://www.cdc.gov/flu/weekly/index.htm]CDC”>Weekly U.S. Influenza Surveillance Report | CDC) and
[CDC</a> 2009 H1N1 Flu | 2009 H1N1 U.S. Situation Update](<a href=“http://www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu/updates/us/#totalcases]CDC”>http://www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu/updates/us/#totalcases)</p>
<p>There have been 117 pediatric deaths since April 2009 (last flu season there were 88 pediatric deaths for the entire flu season).</p>
<p>We know that some underlying conditions can make a case of influenza worse (asthma, pregnancy, obesity). Many people don’t know that an existing bacterial infection (such as a strep throat) can combine with influenza to be deadly. There are also a few cases where a previously healthy person declines rapidly and dies. See:
[PANDEMIC</a> FLU INFORMATION FORUM :: View topic - US Child Deaths - August and September](<a href=“http://www.singtomeohmuse.com/viewtopic.php?t=3649&sid=f1447b4be217f066135897686a053bad]PANDEMIC”>http://www.singtomeohmuse.com/viewtopic.php?t=3649&sid=f1447b4be217f066135897686a053bad)</p>
<p>This is NOT the same as the same ol’ -same ol’ flu. It arose in April (not fall/winter), it persisted through the summer (most years the flu disappears then) and it hits the 5 to 50 year old age group the hardest (normally it is infants and the elderly who are most at risk). </p>
<p>We can be hopeful that most of the cases will be “mild” – but biology rules. The more the flu is spread, the more opportunities there are for the flu to mutate, reassort or recombine (three different pathways to change) to something lesser or worse. </p>
<p>I’ve been following influenza for four years now, starting with “bird” flu (we kept chickens, so it was a natural connection). I am not running around shrieking that the sky is falling, but I am definitely keeping an eye on the news and prepping our house to deal with illness. I highly recommend The Great Influenza by John Barry. It is an in depth look at the 1918 flu and what is in there is very unnerving. Influenza is a tricky beast. Just because your neighbor only gets the sniffles, it does not guarantee your case will be the same. </p>
<p>I get really, really tired of people whining that swine flu is “too much in the news.” Don’t be a thick clod! It is news for a reason! </p>
<p>We’ve had nearly a thousand people die in the US since April. We’ve also had thousands of mild cases. Both are appropriate bits of knowledge for all of us to have.</p>
<p>Obesity also increases the risk for more severe H1N1 & complications, as does asthma & other chronic conditions. There is a lot of obesity throughout the US & also a lot of asthma. </p>
<p>We can only hope that everyone does all they can to remain as healthy as possible, working with their docs.</p>
<p>Olymom, thank you for your informative post. I agreed with your point of view and it worries me that my children who live in dorms do not respect this illness. The secondary infections and dehydration scare me the most, especially since these kids are left to care for themselves in isolated dorm rooms.</p>
<p>As a side note, for those of you without asthma, you can’t possibly know the feeling of your lungs malfunctioning and your airways closing up…it is frightening and nothing I would wish upon anyone, which is why I will get the vaccination and am pleading with my daughter to take it seriously as well. The older I get , the harder I have been impacted by respitory illnesses</p>
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<p>I don’t want to preach on the subject, because I know the benefits of a vaccine can outweigh the drawbacks, which is why I recommend each individual do their own research (thank you for the link). But the USA’s h1n1 vaccine in particular has extraordinarily high levels of squalene because of the rush to make such a large quantity. I just feel people should be aware of what they are taking, or worse, giving to their children.</p>
<p>I am not pleased to find out that my son has been sick in his dorm room the whole weekend with swine flu symptoms, and tells me that he couldn’t go to the health center because Rollins’ health center isn’t open on weekends!</p>
<p>As many know, I advocate getting involved in kids’ college concerns only when there’s a life and death situation. So, I fired off an e-mail to the provost asking whether it’s true that the health center isn’t open on weekends, and letting him know that if that’s the case, I’m concerned about the danger. </p>
<p>I am really ticked off.</p>
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<p>Wow. So if you don’t get sick on a weekday you’re out of luck? Unreal.</p>
<p>I just looked and the clinic at my Ds school is open 8:30am to 4:00pm, except on Thurs when they open at 9:30- oh and they are closed for an hour everyday from noon till 1pm for lunch.</p>
<p>I am going to ask if they are going to increase hours with the H1N1</p>