We are unlikely to have much advance notice about delivery dates and it appears we will be receiving small quantities of the vaccine until the manufacturers increase the national supply.  Therefore, we are recommending a variety of options to provide access to the vaccination for all our of university community members so they can seek the vaccine as expediently, efficiently and conveniently as possible.

University Health Services (UHS):

Due to very limited supplies, the H1N1 flu vaccine will only available to students meeting high-risk criteria as determined by the CDC and used by the Boston Public Health Commission and as our supply allows.  Currently, we are able to offer the  vaccine to nursing students who are currently in their clinical rotation.   If you have been notified that you fit within this category  please come to UHS during open immunization clinic hours to receive your H1N1 flu vaccine.

For other students who fall under other risk categories,  please keep checking our web site as we expand our ability to offer vaccine  dependent on supplies provided by the Boston Public Health Commission. You may also want to check with other sources offering vaccines that we have included on our website below.

We expect to receive additional supply over the coming weeks. Please check this site often for updates, including when the vaccine will be available again and who is eligible at that time.

University Wide H1N1 Flu Clinics:

Because state and national supply of H1N1 flu vaccine is very limited at the present time, we are currently unable to offer any university wide outreach clinics during this semester for the H1N1 flu vaccine. We are hoping to schedule a clinic open to the entire campus community subject to vaccine availability but the prediction for enough supply for this to occur is not until late November to December. Please return to this website regularly for updated information.

Cost: H1N1 flu vaccine is FREE to enrolled UHS students, and to staff and faculty who fall into high-risk categories as the result of performing their job duties.

Off-campus H1N1 and seasonal flu vaccination resources

Community wide flu clinics – health departments in Cambridge and Boston areas are offering free seasonal flu and H1N1 vaccine clinics. To find clinics in these and other towns, visit MassPRO’s Public Flu Clinic Finder by clicking here.

CVS Minute Clinics  - Some CVS stores offer flu clinics depending on their supply.  Click here for more information.

Walgreens Take Care Clinics – Some Walgreens offer flu clinics depending on their supply.  Click here for more information.

Check with your health care provider or community health center.

Pregnant women can also check with their OB/GYN or at the hospital in which you are going to be delivering.

Here’s what you can do to stay healthy:

• Wash your hands. All persons sharing living quarters with someone who is ill, especially those who must come in close contact with the sick person, should wash their hands with soap and water or an alcohol-based hand rub frequently and after every contact with the sick person.
• Don’t share towels. Use paper towels to dry your hands after washing them, or use a cloth towel that isn’t shared with anyone else. If each person has a towel of a different color, you’re less likely to get mixed up.
• Clean common surfaces. Influenza viruses, including the H1N1 virus, are spread mainly through uncovered coughs and sneezes. Respiratory droplets containing the virus can end up on doorknobs, keyboards, and other surfaces. A person may become sick through touching a contaminated surface, and then touching his or her eyes, mouth, or nose. Since the influenza virus can survive on environmental surfaces for two to eight hours, it’s a good idea to clean surfaces that you share with the sick person, such as door knobs, telephones, and bathroom surfaces. Use a standard household disinfectant. Wash your hands after cleaning the area.
• Be helpful, but safe. Don’t be afraid to help out your roommate while he or she is ill. You can offer to pick up some Kleenex or drop off assignments, but try to avoid close contact with your sick roommate. If you are washing used linens (such as bed sheets and towels) for the sick person, use household laundry soap and tumble dry on a hot setting. Avoid “hugging” laundry while carrying it to the washing machine to prevent self-contamination. Clean your hands with soap and water or alcohol-based hand rub right after handling dirty laundry. Dirty dishes and eating utensils should be washed in a dishwasher or by hand with warm water and soap.
• Remind sick roommates to keep their germs to themselves. It’s okay to remind a sick roommate (nicely, of course!) to take steps to prevent spreading his or her illness to others. The sick person should remember to cover coughs and sneezes and to clean his or her hands frequently (especially after coughing, sneezing, or tossing a used tissue in the trash). The sick person should also wear a mask any time he or she might come into close contact (within six feet) of others or when using common areas, like the bathroom. If your sick roommate is not covering sneezes and coughs, you should consider wearing a mask when you are within close proximity.

Following these precautions will lessen your risk of becoming ill, but if you are sharing living quarters with a sick roommate, you should monitor yourself closely for the development of influenza-like symptoms for seven days after contact with the sick person.

Adapted from MIT: My roommate has the flu. What do I do now? September 17, 2009

Hours of Operation

Please note that the Immunization Clinic is not a substitute for the Travelwell Clinic.

Stay tuned. Our presentation and video from the summit will be available shortly.