As a University with a major medical center, U.Va. is much attuned to this. It has been actively planning for pandemic for nearly four years, with earlier plans driven by the H5N1 (avian flu), and regularly revisit the plan to modify and adjust according to new developments. There are specialized committees focused on pandemic influenza, on the academic side and the health system side, and these groups are meeting regularly to evaluate the latest trends and determine what actions may be required to adjust to the changing situation.

The Critical Incident Management Team (CIMT), comprising senior managers across Grounds, was activated in April during the initial spread of the disease and will be activated again in the fall to provide strategic evaluation of potential and occurring impacts from pandemic influenza.

U.Va. is using multiple communication tools to spread this message, from posting proper healthy hygiene posters to establishing an H1N1 information webpage on its website. Incoming students and their parents are told of a Pandemic Plan during the summer orientation sessions and communication to these groups and to returning students will continue into the fall.

U.Va. is promoting the human resources policies related to taking leave in a public health emergency and are communicating with faculty and staff about those details. It is also working with human resources and other University departments to prepare workplace instructions related to the flu.

While U.Va. has a limited supply of anti-virals like Tamiflu, the state has supplies for prophylaxis and plans in place for distribution. U.Va. follows the direction and guidance of local health department, the state health department and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) regarding the administration of prophylaxis. As far as vaccination goes, U.Va. is reviewing the community vaccination plans with regional partners at this point and positioning itself to be able to implement the plan as quickly and effectively as possible when a vaccine becomes available.

Potential influenza cases that came to U.Va.’s attention are being actively managed this summer and educational materials and tools continue to evolve based on what it has learned this summer. U.Va. expects to regularly review and revise its educational messages throughout the fall in response to changes in the disease and how it is represented in its community.

According to Dr. Jim Turner, director of student health, "Colleges and universities can anticipate a second or possible third major wave of novel influenza H1N1 virus over the next school year. Attack rates of 10 percent to 30 percent of students could occur, and seriousness and complications rates are at this time unknown.

"Institutions should prepare for triage and care of large numbers of ill students. Mitigation procedures should be adopted that maximize social distancing or isolation of ill students.

"Finally, since the federal government is aggressively planning to have vaccine available for all Americans, colleges and universities should review plans with local health departments to assure students, faculty, and staff have access to the vaccine."

UMBC sent a letter to its residential students in order to help students and their families be prepared when students return to campus this fall. The letter recommends steps such as bringing basic home-care health supplies and having a family plan if the campus would need to close for this or any other type of emergency. UMBC will work closely with and follow the mandates of the Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (MDHMH) and the Centers for Disease Control (CDC). University Health Services will also be following the MDHMH and CDC guidelines for vaccinations, should vaccine become available to the student population for the H1N1 flu and the general flu.

According to Lewis, "University Health Services and Student Affairs staff do a great job of trying to get a read on how students are feeling: Are they worried? Do they have the information they need?" For UMBC’s latest health alert, which includes information on how to handle anxiety during this type of situation, please go to:
http://www.umbc.edu/uhs/healthalerts.html
http://www.umbc.edu/uhs/ManagingYourAnxietyAboutSwineFlu.htm

The EOC has continued to meet on a regular basis over the summer months and has kept an eye on the influenza situation at the global, national and local levels. Following the lead of the local department of health, the EOC has been fine-tuning the University’s plans and has developed a broad range of responses based on different levels of possible exposure. These responses range from operations and planning to logistics and finance. Some of the actions that the EOC has undertaken include:

* Identifying and stocking appropriate medical and support supplies.
* Instituting an educational campaign encouraging good health habits.
* Developing plans for large events such as commencement.

The University launched a webpage that will include updates:
http://www2.binghamton.edu/news/daily-news-briefs/updates/swine-flu.html.

According to Michael Leonard, director of Binghamton University’s Health Service, campuses can expect to see an increase in infection once classes get back in session. "Almost all of the summer cases have been the Novel Influenza A H1N1," said Leonard. "Although it is unusual for influenza to be a common summer infection, this one has persisted because the ‘herd immunity’ in our population is low for this particular, contagious virus."

According to Leonard, state and federal health officials are predicting a surge in this infection once schools return to session and enter the traditional influenza months of late fall and winter. "It looks as if there will be a massive push to immunize children from K-12th grade but there is some debate about pushing it to the entire population," said Leonard. "At Binghamton, we are adjusting our protocols to reflect guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), which direct us to make the diagnosis of Influenza-Like Illness (ILI) based on symptoms and findings. Ill patients will convalesce in their homes or dormitory rooms. However, if more lethal strains are identified, the CDC guidelines for assessment and treatment will probably change and we will do the same on the Binghamton University campus."

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