Influenza information for faculty and staff
September 23, 2009
Dear Colleagues:
Our goal is to keep everyone at UH Mānoa as healthy as possible, but influenza may well represent a major challenge this year for a large university campus like ours. So it is highly advisable for faculty and staff to be aware of best practices.
The following responses on our part will help in controlling the impact of influenza on our campus community. Mahalo for everyone's attention to this issue.
For faculty:
Please emphasize the following to your students:
1. Request students to stay home if they experience flu symptoms (fever, sore throat, fatigue). If they feel ill in class, ask them to leave and urge them to take care of themselves.
2. Arrange for ill students who must miss class to make up the work. We ask that faculty be flexible with regard to student absences and make-up of work due to influenza.
For all employees:
Please stay home if you have the flu.
1. If you are instructional faculty, notify your department chair and work out a plan for your possible absence and explain it to your students in advance.
2. If you are non-instructional faculty or staff, notify your department chair or supervisor. Illness related absences will be handled according to the appropriate collective bargaining agreement.
Do whatever you can to avoid getting ill. The usual measures (adequate rest, healthy food, and exercise) reduce the likelihood of contracting the flu.
• Practice good hand hygiene by washing your hands often with soap and water, especially after coughing or sneezing. Alcohol-based hand cleaners are also effective.
• Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue when you cough or sneeze. If you don’t have a tissue, cough or sneeze into your elbow or shoulder, not into your hands.
• Talk with your health care providers about whether you should be vaccinated for seasonal flu. Also if you are at higher risk for flu complications from 2009 H1N1 SWINE flu, you should consider getting the H1N1 SWINE FLU vaccine when it becomes available. People at higher risk for 2009 H1N1 SWINE flu complications include pregnant women and people with chronic medical conditions (such as asthma, heart disease, or diabetes). For more information about priority groups for vaccination, visit www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu/vaccination/acip.htm.
We will continue to monitor the flu situation as it develops and will keep you informed of any changes.
For updates, visit our Web site at: http://www.manoa.hawaii.edu/emergency/
For more information about flu call 1-800-CDC-INFO or visit www.flu.gov.
Virginia S. Hinshaw
Chancellor
vhinshaw@hawaii.edu