Last Updated: November 18, 2009.
Information for Parents
OCT. 12: Update to parents from Ira Friedman, Director of Vaden Health Center
Whom to call with H1N1 questions
Stanford asks parents to avoid calling Vaden Health Center. The same professionals who would answer your questions are busy caring for students.
Instead, we recommend that parents start with the Parent Helpline at mykidis@stanford.edu or (650) 725-0649. The student affairs professionals who answer the help line can help identify the best person to answer parent questions.
Vaccination for H1N1 flu
Vaden Health Center received and distributed its first allotment of H1N1 vaccine to the highest-risk students and student spouses or domestic partners of students. As more supplies become available, the university will expand the criteria for eligible students and their spouses or domestic partners.
If your child gets sick
Parents should encourage students with flu-like illness to, first, tell their residence staff—especially the residence dean – because they may be aware of additional resources. For instance, Dining Services will deliver meals to ill students, and academic directors are available to discuss missed academic responsibilities.
Second, parents should advise their students to stay away from classes and limit interactions with other people, except to seek medical care, for at least 24 hours after they no longer has a fever, or signs of a fever, without the use of fever-reducing medicines.
If possible, residential students with flu-like illness who live relatively close to the campus should return home to keep from making others sick.
Most cases of H1N1 and other flu are handled through self-care, rest and isolation. But, if a student becomes concerned or develops severe symptoms, he or she should consult with a medical professional, especially if he or she is at high risk of flu-related complications.
Concerned students can call Vaden at (650) 498-2336. Health care professionals are available to consult about whether or not an appointment is necessary and how symptoms are best managed.
When Vaden Health Center is not open, urgent medical advice is available by calling (650) 498-2336.
If your child has asthma or other high-risk condition
High-risk students include those with chronic conditions such as asthma, diabetes or heart disease. They should contact their healthcare provider as soon as possible, and seek attention at the first sign of flu-like symptoms.
Stanford has reached out with specific communications to students who have alerted the university to their high-risk condition.
Availability of antiviral drugs
Stanford has a limited supply of Tamiflu and is following the most current public health recommendations for the use of Tamiflu.
If your child’s roommate is sick
Stanford is following the CDC’s recommendations, which suggest that students with sick roommates should limit their contact and try to maintain a distance of six feet. In our experience to date, roommates of ill students have not been at higher risk of catching the flu than other members of the residential community.
If the flu becomes more severe
Right now, the H1N1 virus shows no sign of being worse than the seasonal flu in terms of its virulence and symptoms. That said, Stanford officials nevertheless have developed contingency plans in the event that H1N1 becomes more severe. Among the possibilities for minimizing the spread of infectious disease is through “social distancing” of people. Such measures would be made in consultation with public health officials and could include suspending or modifying events, suspending classes and closing residences.
If your child in planning to study abroad in winter
Public health authorities consider the spread of H1N1 to be global, with ongoing community-level outbreaks occurring throughout the world.
The CDC website contains the following recommendations for travel to areas reporting novel H1N1 flu: “CDC recommends that travelers at high risk for complications from any form of flu discuss their travel plans with their doctor. Together, they should look carefully at the H1N1 flu situation in their destination and the available healthcare options in the area. They should discuss their specific health situations and possible increased risk of traveling to the area affected by novel H1N1 flu.”
The Bing Overseas Study Program has contingency plans ensuring access to medical care and housing and anticipating screening at airports.