Brown has the highest rate of H1N1 vaccination among Rhode Island universities and colleges, according to a campus-wide e-mail from Health Services Director Edward Wheeler on Feb. 1.
The e-mail noted that barely any students sought treatment for influenza-like illnesses over winter break and outlined step-by-step instructions on how to obtain a free vaccination at Health Services.
In total, 2,447 out of 7,190 eligible students received a vaccination before the vacation, according to Wheeler — a vaccination rate of about 34 percent. According to data provided to Health Services by the Rhode Island Department of Health, this is higher than any other school in the state, he said.
Before winter break, Health Services only distributed vaccines to those who were 24 and under, Wheeler said. This restriction has since been lifted, raising the number of eligible students above the 7,190 previously considered eligible.
"Anyone can be vaccinated now," Wheeler said.
The H1N1 vaccine was first made available by Health Services to students on Dec. 4, said Lynn DuPont, associate director of Health Services. Through Dec. 19, 749 students reported flu-like symptoms, she said. These students registered with FluWeb, a service of the Health Services Web site that lets sick students report their illnesses and receive assistance with health care and missed classes.
"Anyone who has influenza-like symptoms was presumed to have H1N1," she said. "Every student who was on that list we can call back in 24 to 48 hours to check up on."
Since Dec. 9, however, there have been virtually no additional reports — "just one, maybe two," she said.
Within a day of the Feb. 1 e-mail, an additional 104 students had signed up to receive a vaccine, according to DuPont. Five were vaccinated on Monday, while 12 to 15 were scheduled to receive a vaccination on Tuesday, she said.
Both Thursday and next Tuesday, additional Health Services nurses will be assisting with the vaccinations, DuPont said, adding that the department hopes to vaccinate 50 to 75 students a day. She encouraged unvaccinated students to come on one of those days.
Wilson Baer '13 said he received the vaccine early last December, adding that the procedure was easy — after filling out some medical paperwork, he was given the shot and asked to wait several minutes before leaving to make sure that there were no ill effects. The experience was over in ten minutes, he said.
"I knew it was safe, and it was the best thing to do," Baer said. "It just seemed like a good idea."
Ultimately, the school hopes to vaccinate an additional 1,000 students in the upcoming weeks, Wheeler said.
"We'd like everyone to get it, but if 500 to 1,000 did, we'd be happy," he said.
He strongly encouraged all students to get vaccinated, noting that by doing so, they protect others as well as themselves from the H1N1 virus, as they become unable to spread it.
"Don't get casual," he said. "Get the vaccine."
