Campus flu vaccines slated for mid-November roll-out

University of Alberta students and staff who missed getting their H1N1 and season influenza immunizations before the closure of public mega-clinics on Saturday will still get a shot at treatment thanks to the impending arrival of both vaccines on campus.

Although an official date hasn’t been announced, University Health Centre officials say the government has assured them vaccine delivery will occur in sometime in the month of November.

“We’re looking at some time in early to mid-November for being able to set up and establish clinics here for students and staff to get their H1N1 shots,” said Kevin Friese, assistant director of the UHC.

“Alberta Health and Wellness has indicated that vaccine will be made available. What we’re now working on is trying to establish how much of the vaccine will be received and when.”

Once the vaccine is on campus, previous demographic restrictions will no longer apply, and the vaccine will be made available across the University.

“The original seasonal influenza vaccine that we’ve previously been provided with was restricted to students in health science faculties and health care workers in those faculties,” Friese said.

“This H1N1 vaccine that’s been announced, and the program we’re procuring for campus won’t be limited to just health science students or high risk groups.”

The vaccine will be made available to all students and staff at the University, although vaccination will not be available to their families.

But delivery at the U of A, originally announced as the result of superfluous vaccine, has now been cast in an uncertain light after the closure of all provincial clinics on Saturday. However, the University has not yet heard of any alterations to the mid-November roll-out plan from AHW.

However, Friese urged students to keep up with the prevention practices while waiting for the vaccine to arrive.

“One of the core messages we’re trying to get across to people is that due to the fact that the province is still working on how much vaccine they’ll be able to provide, and coming up with a timeline, it could still conceivably be two to three weeks before the vaccine is delivered to us,” Friese concluded.