Roll up your sleeves

H1N1 vaccination clinics take place at Dalhousie on November 30, December 1 and December 2.

Dal students, staff and faculty can roll up their sleeves to get vaccinated for H1N1 early next week.

Dalhousie has received 10,000 doses of vaccine from the province and will hold three clinics on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday. Shannon Zimmerman, for one, plans to get immunized.

"The university has created this opportunity for us and it's a great thing to take advantage of," says the DSU president.

The clinics will take place:

• Monday, Nov. 30, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. in the McInnes Room of the Dal SUB
• Tuesday, Dec. 1, 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. in the McInnes Room of the Dal SUB
• Wednesday, Dec. 2, 1:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. on level one of the Dentistry Building.

The clinics will be free to all Dalhousie and University of King's College students, faculty and staff, who should come with their Dalhousie/King's ID and health card (although not mandatory). It’s advisable to wear a short-sleeved shirt or clothing with sleeves that can be easily pulled up. Appointments are not necessary. 

"We've been waiting for this," says Ray Ilson, director of Dalhousie’s Environmental Health and Safety Office. "We've got a large population here, many of whom have not been vaccinated yet. So we're grateful it's happening and encourage people to attend."

Once Nova Scotia’s H1N1 vaccination campaign expanded to include healthy people last week, Dalhousie was able to apply to the province to acquire the 10,000 doses of vaccine.

According to the Department of Health, the province continues to experience H1N1 activity; during the second week of November, the percentage of emergency room visits with influenza-like illness stood at about 15 per cent.

“Just because there appears to be a lull in the number of new cases of flu doesn’t mean we shouldn’t protect ourselves and others,” adds Derrick Enslow, health promotion program manager with Student Wellness Services. “This is a good chance to get the shot before (students) go home for the Christmas break.”

Third wave

While many experts agree that the second wave of the virus has peaked, there is talk of a potential third wave in the winter or spring.

"I cannot stress enough the seriousness of H1N1, and the need to get vaccinated," said Dr. Robert Strang, chief public health officer, in a news release. "Everyone is at some risk of getting H1N1, and we are seeing otherwise healthy people come down with severe and debilitating illness. But it can be prevented safely and easily by getting immunized."

Since the beginning of influenza season in September, the province has had 720 lab-confirmed cases of H1N1, 205 hospitalizations and six H1N1-related deaths.

LINK: www.flu.dal.ca