Columbia University Pandemic Flu Response

Am I at risk for the H1N1 flu?

People contract H1N1 by being in close contact with another person who has contracted the illness. Someone who is infected may be able to transmit the infection to others beginning one day before symptoms develop and up to seven or more days after becoming sick. This means you may be able to pass on the flu to someone else before showing symptoms of the flu, as well as while you are sick.

What can I do to protect myself?

The primary defense against influenza is immunization. This fall, seasonal flu vaccine will be available on campus to University students, faculty, and staff.

Preventive hygiene is also among the foremost protective measures everyone can take.

What should I do if my roommate is ill?

If your roommate has been evaluated by a health care professional at Health Services or elsewhere, they would have been instructed on how to minimize the risk of exposing you and others to the flu virus. Those instructions would include covering coughs and sneezes, staying in their room as much as possible, and wearing a mask when they need to be out of their room.

You can protect yourself by encouraging your roommate to closely follow these recommendations.  Additionally, you should get adequate rest and nutrition, refrain from sharing kitchen utensils or drinking glasses and limit close contact with your roommate. If you feel that you may be getting sick, please call Health Services via the information at right.  

Should I be concerned about the preservatives vaccine manufacturers use in the seasonal or H1N1 vaccines?

They are no well-designed scientific studies to support this claim. The flu vaccine is safe and almost 100% effective. The CDC recommends getting a seasonal flu now and the H1N1 when it becomes available, particularly those who are in the high-risk populations.

It is important to note that people with certain allergies or reactions to previous vaccines should talk to their healthcare provider before getting the seasonal or H1N1 vaccines.

I've heard some medications are recommended - should I take them?

There are antiviral medications including oseltamivir phosphate (Tamiflu®) or zanamivir (Relenza®), which are active  against influenza, but they are not panaceas. Experts worry that the influenza virus could become resistant if these drugs are overused; therefore, it’s best to discuss with your healthcare provider whether one of these medications is appropriate for your treatment.

What should I do before coming to campus?

For students arriving on campus, it is best to review and practice preventive measures to limit the spread of disease. You may also consider putting together a basic medical care kit to help with illness such as the flu. The kit may include a thermometer, tissues, hand sanitizer, soup packets, tea bags, salt for gargling, cough drops or throat lozenges and non-prescription fever-reducing medications (e.g., Tylenol or Motrin).

Where can I get more information?

• The websites listed in the Resources section of this site are good sources of information.
• We update this website when there are any significant changes in the influenza situation.
• Do you have a question not covered here? If you can't find the answer on this website or one of those mentioned in the Resources section, e-mail us at ehs-hs@columbia.edu, and we'll add your question to this website.