November 30, 2009
Purdue ramps up to vaccinate 8,900 for H1N1
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - All members of the Purdue University campus under age 25 as well as those who fall into other high-priority categories can make appointments online to receive the H1N1 vaccine beginning Friday (Dec. 4).Those eligible include students, faculty, staff, retirees and their spouses/same-sex domestic partners who meet the criteria.
"The Tippecanoe County Health Department has allocated an additional 8,900 doses to Purdue, so for the first time most of our students in this most vulnerable age group will be eligible," said James Westman, director of the Purdue Student Health Center (PUSH).
The vaccination clinics are scheduled for:
• 10 a.m. to 5 pm. Friday, Dec. 4, in Stewart Center, Room 214 A-D.
• 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 9, in the northeast gym at the Recreational Sports Center.
If requests for the online appointments exceed the number that can be handled during those two clinics, the university will offer a third clinic on Monday, Dec. 7, in Stewart Center, Room 218 A-D. Updates on clinics will be posted at Purdue's H1N1 Web site (https://www.purdue.edu/fluinfo) and the PUSH Web site (https://www.purdue.edu/push).
Eligible individuals can make an appointment for themselves or their spouses/same-sex partner at https://www.purdue.edu/worklife Tuesday (Dec. 1) afternoon. There is no charge for students. Purdue identification cards will be needed, and employees also will need to show their Purdue-sponsored insurance card to avoid a $12 administration fee.
In addition to those under the age of 25, others eligible to receive the vaccine (via injection, not the nasal spray) include the following:
• Pregnant women.
• Caregivers for children younger than 6 months.
• University health-care and emergency medical personnel.
• Individuals under age 65 with underlying health conditions that put them at risk for complications of flu-related illness.
Individuals considered to be at risk are those who have: cancer, blood disorders, obesity, chronic lung disease (asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, etc.), diabetes, heart disease, kidney or liver disorders, neurological or neuromuscular disorders, or otherwise weakened immune systems.
Call the Purdue University Student Health Center at (765) 494-1724 with questions. A limited number of H1N1 immunizations also will be available at the health center from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. weekdays, but individuals are encouraged to sign up for an appointment at one of the clinics to avoid waiting, Westman said.
Purdue News Service: (765) 494-2096; purduenews@purdue.edu
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