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UMW records its first case of swine flu Date published: 8/27/2009
BY JIM HALL The University of Mary Washington reported its first confirmed case of swine flu yesterday. The university notified students and staff that one student has contracted the new H1N1 virus and three others are suspected of having it. The sick students have been asked to remain in their dorm rooms on the Fredericksburg campus and avoid contact with others. The university says it will offer all students and staff the swine flu vaccine on campus when it is available. The university also has set up a swine flu hotline for students and staff at 540/654-2500. The new H1N1 virus was first confirmed in the Rappahannock region in June, when one child and one adult contracted the disease. Health officials expect the number of cases to increase now that school has started, and large numbers of young people are in close contact with one another. In recent days, local health workers have been calling on UMW officials and those at other schools to enlist their support for a mass vaccination program that would begin this fall. The program will take place in the schools and vaccinate virtually every child in the state against swine flu. It would be part of a national effort and would be the largest vaccination program in Virginia in more than 30 years. The program will target groups that are said to be at greatest risk for severe illness from the disease. The largest of these groups is children and young people, ages 6 months to 24 years. The program would begin when the swine flu vaccine is ready, perhaps in October. It would be in addition to the traditional vaccine programs for seasonal flu that take place each year. The incidence of the swine flu has been lower in the Fredericksburg area than in other parts of the state. The latest Health Department figures, for Aug. 22, show that less than 1 percent of emergency department and urgent care visits have been for flu-like symptoms. Other parts of the state have recorded rates up to 2.5 percent. Jim Hall: 540/374-5433
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