SUNY Launches H1N1 Pandemic Flu Strategy

Albany, NY – In order to get out in front of a potential pandemic flu outbreak, The State University of New York has undertaken a comprehensive, collaborative system-wide campaign to prepare for all forms of flu; to educate about the virus and to respond effectively to parents, students, employees and the general public.

“SUNY’s response to all forms of the flu has been focused on three critical themes: Prepare, Educate, and Respond,” said Chancellor Nancy L. Zimpher. “Our first priority is to help keep students, faculty and staff healthy and safe. When there is illness, SUNY’s advanced planning and preparation aims to minimize it.”  Chancellor Zimpher stressed that the potential for flu events to escalate rapidly requires a coordinated and collaborative response across the 64 SUNY campuses, as well as with state and federal agencies.

All SUNY policies and procedures undertaken to prepare, educate, and respond to pandemic flu follow medical guidelines from The Centers for Disease Control, U.S. Department of Health and the New York State Department of Health.

"Chancellor Zimpher's proactive efforts are a model for all academic institutions and will provide valuable situational awareness for SUNY campuses, maximizing the prevention of outbreaks and minimizing spread of illness in campus communities. We are working with SUNY and providing guidance. Together we are enhancing students' access to flu vaccinations on SUNY campuses. We look forward to collaborating in SUNY's surveillance efforts. The data being collected by SUNY and shared with the New York State Department of Health will greatly enhance our ability to provide consultation and will facilitate rapid response when it is warranted," said State Health Commissioner Richard F. Daines, M.D.

SUNY’s Three-pronged approach to pandemic flu

Prepare:

• SUNY created a pandemic flu website last year, which is updated daily – http://www.suny.edu/h1n1
  
  
• A University-wide planning group was convened last year to provide system-wide guidance on critical issues pertaining to pandemic flu and other crises.
  
  
• At the Chancellor’s request, campuses are reporting cases of “Influenza-Like Illness” (ILI) centrally via a tool developed by SUNY System.
  
  
• SUNY monitors daily campus trends and is reporting overall illnesses to the NYS Department of Health.
• To date, the daily reported new cases of ILI are minimal. SUNY educates nearly 440,000 students across 64 campuses. Average reported daily ILI cases thus far have amounted to less than 0.02 percent of that population (average of 83).
• There have been no SUNY-related deaths reported from ILI or H1N1.

Educate

• The Chancellor has formed an H1N1 Medical Advisory Group that includes international experts on infectious diseases and public health. The group provides assistance to campuses and advises the Chancellor.

• SUNY held a symposium on H1N1 on September 14^th in Syracuse that attracted 167 participants from 54 SUNY colleges. Speakers from the Centers for Disease Control and the U.S. Department of Health provided information and counsel, and a higher education expert from Carnegie Mellon University described their planning and response to a severe outbreak of H1N1 on that campus.

• SUNY campuses have been taking preventive steps to help educate students, faculty and staff regarding how to limit the spread of all types of flu. Campuses are:
• Publishing campus websites for H1N1;
• Holding ongoing meetings of campus emergency and planning groups;
• Providing education and outreach to their campus communities;
• Expanding respiratory protection efforts;
• Increasing inventories of essential items, such as face masks and hand sanitizers;
• Preparing to use their online course management systems to continue instruction;
• Becoming points of distribution for vaccines;
• Exploring alternative housing for ill students.
  
  
• Poster campaigns help educate people about how to properly wash hands, and cough and sneeze to limit germ spread.
  
  

Respond

• Seasonal flu shots are being offered on campuses.
  
  
• SUNY NY-Alert allows campuses to send text, email, voice messaging directly to students in the event of a emergency. SUNY NY-Alert is the largest such effort in the country. This system has been in place for more than two years now and enjoys nearly 100% campus participation.

• SUNY has launched a comprehensive system of daily reporting to assist campuses in monitoring Influenza Like Illness across the system.

About the State University of New York

The State University of New York is the largest comprehensive university system in the United States, educating nearly 440,000 students in 7,669 degree and certificate programs on 64 campuses. To learn more about how SUNY creates opportunity, visit www.suny.edu

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