Health Services has cancelled all flu vaccine clinics this year and will not be providing students with shots because of a sharply reduced vaccination supply nationwide.
"We don't have any vaccine," said Lynn Dupont, registered nurse and assistant director of Health Services. "We are working very closely with the Rhode Island Department of Health to get vaccines for high-risk students."
Half the nation's expected vaccine supply for the coming winter will not be available because of manufacturing problems at the Liverpool, England, plant of Chiron Corp., one of the two suppliers of the vaccine to the United States. The only other manufacturer, Aventis Pasteur, has produced 55.4 million doses, but nearly two-thirds of that supply has already been distributed, company officials said yesterday.
College students do not fall under an "at risk" category under the newly revised guidelines of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. According to a CDC press release, infants between six and 23 months, people over 65, residents of nursing homes and pregnant women are among the demographics with priority for vaccines.
Dupont added that students with weakened immune systems or chronic metabolic diseases also qualify as priority groups. Illnesses such as heart disease, asthma, diabetes, kidney disease and blood disorders increase students' eligibility for flu shots.
University health officials do not yet know if they will eventually be able to provide vaccines to students who have chronic health problems. "We're asking any students who are in a high-risk category to get their vaccine at home. We're highly recommending students make an appointment with their personal physician to get it," Dupont said.
The Rhode Island Department of Health has asked in-state health care providers to report the amount of vaccine they have ordered and how much they currently have, but officials have yet to gather a complete inventory, said Mary Jo Takach, a spokesperson for the health department. "We've heard back from most people, but not everyone," she said. "There's very little flu vaccine left in the state right now."
Last year, 300,000 to 350,000 people were vaccinated in Rhode Island, Takach said. She said that the 50 percent shortage of expected vaccine has put a strain on the amount of vaccine that can be distributed to "young, healthy individuals," including most college students. But she added that anyone with a chronic illness remains a priority for the state health department.
Belonging to an at-risk group does not guarantee a flu shot, though. Ana Gustafson '08, who has a rare connective-tissue disorder, qualifies as a "high-risk" student and planned on getting vaccinated at Brown this year.
Despite meeting the requirement, Gustafson was unable to obtain a vaccine from Health Services. "Because Brown told me it was out, I'm going to go through my hematologist at Rhode Island Hospital," she said.
In previous years, Health Services offered the flu vaccine to anyone who wanted one. "We encouraged students to get the flu shot because of the lifestyle students have, living in close proximity to each other," Dupont said.
Flu season typically peaks from December to March in the United States. According to the CDC, approximately 36,000 people die annually and 200,000 are hospitalized because of the flu and its complications.
The Providence Journal reported yesterday that roughly 100 Rhode Islanders die from the flu each year. Despite the living conditions of college students, Dupont said, "Flu vaccines are not the only way to prevent the flu."
She recommended consistent hand washing, plenty of sleep and healthy eating. "When you are sick, stay in your residence hall - don't go out," Dupont added. "College students are healthy, and if they practice measures, they can prevent getting the flu and spreading it."
