Swine Flu Preparedness Update

Information on Rider University's Swine Flu Preparedness for Students

Information on Rider University's Swine Flu Preparedness for Faculty and Staff

November 9, 2009 Update – Like many colleges and universities across the country, Rider has been experiencing flu-like illness among students, faculty and staff since earlier this semester. The good news is that the numbers are still relatively small. As of today, we know of 120 students and 33 faculty and staff across both campuses who have reported flu-like illness since the start of the fall semester. Most have since recovered. Three students have been diagnosed with H1N1 (swine flu). Procedures for dealing with these cases have proceeded as planned.   

Rider continues to monitor information related to all potential flu strains, including the H1N1 virus (swine flu), and to prepare accordingly. Our preparations reflect the recommendations to date of the Lawrence and Princeton Township Health Departments, the New Jersey Department of Health and Senior Services, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Developments related to swine flu have been evolving, sometimes quite rapidly, since the initial outbreak this spring. We continue to monitor the situation closely with the help of public health officials and update you accordingly via our Web site at www.rider.edu/swineflu. Information is also available at the CDC Web site at www.cdc.gov/H1N1flu, at the New Jersey Department of Health and Senior Services Web site at www.nj.gov/health/h1n1, and via the New Jersey H1N1 hotline at 1-866-321-9571. Pennsylvania residents can find additional information at www.h1n1inpa.com. We encourage you to take advantage of these resources as well.

Please feel free to contact Human Resources at x5140 with employee questions and the Dean of Students office at x5101 with any student questions related to swine flu. 

What can I do to reduce the risk of coming down with the flu?
We encourage all members of our University community to continue the preventive practices recommended by public health officials, such as those listed below, to help prevent the spread of germs that cause respiratory illnesses like the flu.   

• Avoid close contact with people who are ill and stay at home when you are ill.
• Wash your hands often with soap and water. Alcohol-based hand cleaners are also effective.
• Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue when you sneeze or cough, and dispose of the tissue immediately in the trash. Also, avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth.

What can I do now to prepare for a potential flu outbreak?
There are several things we can all do in preparation for a potential flu outbreak on either or both of our campuses:

Faculty

• Engage your department in discussions regarding course coverage should several members of your department become ill at the same time.
• Consider how you will communicate with your students should you be out ill for a period of time or should larger numbers of your students become ill.
• Consider electronic tools (i.e. Blackboard, email list serves) you might use to help you continue instruction if you or large numbers of your students become ill. The Teaching and Learning Center can help in this regard.
• Consider which policies, if any, might inadvertently encourage ill students to attend classes sooner than they should. Determine options you might offer students to help them keep up with their coursework while still recovering at home.

Staff   

• Engage your department in discussions regarding work coverage should several members of your department become ill at the same time.
• Consider how you will communicate with the rest of your department should you be out ill for a period of time.
• Consider with your supervisor whether telecommuting or other modifications to work processes might support work coverage during an outbreak.

Will Rider make seasonal vaccine available to faculty and staff?
Seasonal flu vaccination clinics for faculty and staff were held on both campuses on October 29 and November 5.

Faculty and staff who were unable to attend either clinic can contact Capital Health, our vendor, at (609) 695-7471 to schedule an appointment for a free seasonal flu shot. Please identify yourself as a Rider employee when scheduling an appointment. Capital Health is located at 750 Brunswick Avenue, Trenton, NJ, not too far from Rider’s Lawrenceville campus.

Will Rider make H1N1 (swine flu) vaccine available to faculty and staff?
Full and part-time faculty and staff who meet the CDC guidelines outlined below are eligible to participate in the swine flu (H1N1) vaccination clinic for students on Wednesday, November 18.

Both the vaccination mist and shot will be available on a first-come, first-served basis at no cost to students, faculty and staff at the following times:

• Princeton campus: 9 to 11:30 a.m., Williamson Hall
• Lawrenceville campus: 3 to 7 p.m., SRC seminar room

Note that because of the limited availability of the swine flu vaccine, Maxim Health Systems, our provider, will only administer the vaccine according to the following CDC guidelines:

• All students, faculty, and staff through the age of 24 are eligible to receive the vaccine.
• Students, faculty, and staff, ages 25 to 64, are also eligible to receive the vaccine if they are
• pregnant, or
• household contacts or caregivers of children younger than 6 months, or
• healthcare or emergency medical services personnel, or at
• high risk of medical complications from influenza. 

Everyone requesting the vaccine will be required to complete a form verifying their status according to these guidelines. In addition, everyone must present a Rider ID.

We are also pleased to confirm that Aetna, Rider’s medical carrier, will provide first-dollar coverage for the administration of the H1N1 (swine flu) vaccine for all employees and their family members covered under our plans who receive the vaccination from an Aetna approved provider. This means that any co-pays, co-insurance and deductibles will not apply for the administration of the H1N1 vaccine. The cost of the H1N1 vaccine and the supplies to administer it will be covered by the federal government. Aetna will reimburse medical providers for the administration of the one or two doses of the H1N1 vaccine based on the recommendations of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

As per the New Jersey and Pennsylvania Departments of Health, H1N1 vaccine is arriving in very limited quantities. We therefore do not yet know how or when it will be available to all other employees on our campuses. Assuming the vaccine becomes available locally in larger quantities for the general population, we expect to offer an additional vaccination clinic for all full and part time faculty and staff, again at no cost. Rider continues to work with public health officials to keep informed about future developments related to the vaccine and will update students, faculty and staff via the Web site at www.rider.edu/swineflu. 

In the meantime, we recommend that employees and covered family members contact their medical providers to determine if they are approved vaccinators.  Information is also available in New Jersey at www.nj.gov/health/h1n1 or by calling the New Jersey H1N1 hotline at 1-866-321-9571. Pennsylvania residents can find additional information at www.h1n1inpa.com.

How will I know if I have swine flu?
The CDC is not currently recommending testing. Therefore, you may not necessarily know whether or not you have seasonal or swine flu. That is the same for our students.

Flu-like symptoms, whether the result of swine flu or another virus, includes fever, cough, sore throat, body aches, headache, chills and fatigue. A significant number of people who have been infected with swine flu have also reported diarrhea and vomiting.

What should I do if I start experiencing flu-like symptoms?
The following is recommended by the CDC when you are experiencing flu-like symptoms to help minimize contact with others and prevent the spread of illness.   

• Stay home, take care of yourself, and do not return to work for at least 24 hours after your fever is gone without the use of a fever-reducing medicine.
• Let your supervisor or department chair know that you are ill with flu-like symptoms. Supervisors and department chairs, in turn, should contact Human Resources. This will help them provide coverage in your absence and inform continuing decision-making and planning as we consider the extent of the outbreak on our campuses. Generally, we will apply existing leave time policies. Situations involving individuals who feel they have unique circumstances will be reviewed on a case by case basis.
• If necessary, contact your healthcare provider initially by phone should you have any questions or concerns. The CDC has indicated that most people who have become ill with swine flu have recovered without requiring medical treatment.
• If you are at high risk for flu complications, the CDC recommends contacting your healthcare provider to determine if testing or treatment is needed. If you have concerns about exposure to the flu virus based on your particular circumstances, contact Human Resources for additional guidance.

Can I come to work if I’m not experiencing symptoms but have someone at home who is ill with the flu?
The CDC indicates that employees can come to work if they themselves are not experiencing flu-like symptoms but have family members at home who are.

Will Rider require a doctor’s note before returning to work or school?
Rider will not routinely require a doctor’s note for an employee to return to work or for a student to return to classes following a flu-related illness. As mentioned earlier, we just ask that students and employees stay home and not return to work or classes for at least 24 hours after your fever is gone without the use of a fever-reducing medicine as per CDC guidelines.

What if a student self-discloses that he or she is experiencing flu-like symptoms?
Encourage students who have flu-like symptoms to contact Student Health Services at x5060 and the Dean of Students office at x5101. Student Affairs staff will encourage students to seek appropriate medical attention and other support as needed.

What if I still have some questions?
Contact Human Resources at x5140. They will be happy to answer any questions you may have or to talk with you about your particular circumstances. You might also check out information available at the CDC Web site at www.cdc.gov/H1N1flu, the New Jersey Department of Health and Senior Services Web site at www.nj.gov/health/h1n1, or the Pennsylvania Department of Health at www.h1n1inpa.com.