Uc President Michael Drake Announces New Influenza Vaccine Requirement For All Uc Campuses
Alexandra Wishowski
Isla Vista Beat Reporter
On July 31, the University of California President, Michael Drake, issued an executive order which requires all students, faculty, and staff on or near the University of California campuses to get an influenza vaccine by Nov. 1.
In response to this new mandate, UC Santa Barbara Student Health is holding appointments for flu shots to make the vaccine available for students on campus and in Isla Vista.
Jackie Ruiz, a public information officer at the Santa Barbara County Public Health Department, emphasized the importance of receiving a vaccination by the end of October in an interview with the Bottom Line.
From the Public Health Department perspective, we recommend getting a flu shot by the end of October as it takes about two weeks for antibodies to develop and protect you, she said. The department also highly suggests a yearly flu vaccination for people six months or older.
The UC SHIP health insurance plan covers the cost of the flu vaccine, while students with SHS Gaucho Access Plan pay $15, and students who have waived both options pay $30. Aside from the offerings on campus, the vaccine is still accessible in Santa Barbara County. Many local pharmacies offer flu vaccines, according to Ruiz.
Most insurance companies, including Medi-Cal, cover the cost of a flu shot, she said.
Additional information on the 2020-21 flu season and vaccine can be found on the Centers for Disease Control Prevention website.
Ucsb Students React To Uc Campuses Requiring Flu Vaccines For Students Staff
A new executive order for UC schools is requiring students, faculty, and staff members to get a flu shot prior to Nov. 19.
Students and employees at University of California schools already have a COVID-19 vaccine mandate.
The new mandate would affect more than 500,000 people.
I know so many people that have recently been getting sick just with colds and the flu and everything, I think because people arent used to being around so many people, said UCSB sophomore Sana Vijaynathan.
There is definitely something going around like a cold, its not COVID-19 because everyone is getting tested regularly, theyre really good about that, said freshman Amanda Martin-Parras.
Several UCSB students say they are in support of the new requirement.
I think its good the schools are proving they want everyone to be safe. Im sure a lot of people wouldnt go out of their way to get a flu shot if its not mandatory, said Martin-Parras.
I think that its not that big of a deal to do. If it can help you and other people then why not do it, said Vijaynathan.
Other students say they are still unsure on whether or not they will opt-out.
I probably wouldnt see myself getting it unless some new ideas or information came out, said senior Mason Buczek.
Students additionally proposed questions regarding the reasoning for an influenza vaccine mandate.
You have to ask the question why werent previous years before COVID a flu vaccine mandate in place at that point, said Buczek.
Its Almost Winter: Spread Holiday Cheer Not The Flu
As Fall quarter kicks into full gear and teachers continue to pile on assignment after assignment, another unwelcome friend has been knocking on students doors: the flu.
Influenza, as it is otherwise called, is an infectious disease that affects millions of people all over the world annually. It spreads through people via airborne droplets, so living in close quarters with other people can lead to outbreaks. If left untreated, the flu can result in more serious complications, such as pneumonia or even death. Although it begins with irritation in the nose, throat and chest, more serious symptoms can develop, such as muscle aches, vomiting or diarrhea, which can last for up to seven days. It is usually most prominent during the months of January and February, but with the right precautions taken, students can avoid dealing with this inconvenience altogether.
For those who want to prevent contracting the flu and for those who already have, Student Health provides care on a daily basis. But according to Mary Ferris, the director of Student Health at University of California Santa Barbara, preventing the flu is simple.
The good news is that it is entirely preventable with an annual immunization, she said.
For those not on the schools insurance plan, flu shot clinics may be faster and more accessible. Other places around the area such as drugstores and Cottage Hospital also offer flu shots.
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I Waived Ship Because I Have Private Insurance Can I Still Use Student Health Services
All students who pay full registration fees are entitled to use SHS, regardless of insurance. Physician and nurse practitioner visits are available at reasonable cost. However, students who are not enrolled in SHIP may incur additional charges for labs, x-rays and prescriptions. SHS does not bill private insurance.
Tips For Locating Immunization Records
- If you need to locate your records please contact your medical care provider or the high school you attended.
- If you cannot locate your records and you were previously vaccinated, you can request blood tests from your current medical care provider.
- If the titer result is negative you must begin the series of vaccinations.
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What If I Forgot A Birth Control Pill What If I Have Forgotten 3 Or 4
If you forget one pill, and it has been less than 24 hours — take it when you remember, then continue taking pills at your regularly scheduled time. You are still protected as long as this only happens once during a cycle.
If you forget one pill and it has been more than 24 hours but less than 48 hours, take it with your next pill then resume your regular pill taking schedule. You can take 2 pills together anytime, but it is best to take them as soon as you remember. Your protection is probably diminished so it is recommended that you use a back-up method of birth control until the end of your pill cycle. It is common to have breakthrough bleeding if you miss pills.
If you completely skip pill-taking pills for more than 48 hours, do not try to catch up. Stop the pills. You will start your period a few days after stopping pills. It is best to talk to your clinician or an advice nurse to understand how to restart pills with the least interruption of your contraception. You are not protected and need to use a back-up method of birth control. If you had intercourse during the “missed pill days”, call your clinician. You may benefit from ECP, emergency contraception pills.
I Need A Tb Test For My School Or Job Application How Can I Do This At Shs
TB skin testing is done through Nurse’s Clinic on a walk-in basis. The test involves injecting a very small amount of antigen just under the skin in the forearm, then a reading of the test results in 2-3 days. PPD’s cannot be placed on Thursdays, since we cannot read them on Saturday or Sunday. See the Cost of Services page for current prices.
If you had BCG vaccine , you may have a false positive skin test. BCG offers only partial and temporary protection from TB, so you should still be tested. A blood test is now available at Student Health that is not affected by BCG.
If you have had a positive PPD skin test in the past, you should not have another skin test done. Instead, a blood test and/or chest x-ray is required to verify you do not have active tuberculosis. The nurse can order the x-ray for you.
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Can I Get Immunizations At Shs
Yes, SHS has all basic and travel vaccines available. There are approximately a dozen vaccine-preventable diseases that can disrupt your college career. An RN visit and your immunization record from home is all you need to get your immunization status reviewed. SHS provides immunizations against the following contagious diseases: Chicken Pox, Hepatitis A, Hepatitis B, HPV Influenza, Japanese Encephalitis*, Measles, Meningococcal Meningitis, Mumps, Pertussis, Pneumococcal Pneumonia, Polio, Rabies*, Rubella, Tetanus, Typhoid* and Yellow Fever*.
Update On Campus Covid
- The campus will continue its existing masking policy, including the requirement for masking in indoor public spaces, through the end of Winter Quarter , the Chancellor announced in a new letter to the campus community. The decision was made following consultation with campus medical experts, the Academic Senate, student leaders, deans, members of the staff and administration, and medical colleagues systemwide. CalOSHA continues to require that all employees wear face masks when indoors and in vehicles. According to the , there is a possibility that existing COVID-19 protocols could be adjusted for most campus activities in Spring Quarter, assuming current trends and risks of transmission continue to decline as predicted by current modeling.
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How Do I Know I Will Receive Quality Health Care At Shs
The SHS is accredited by the Accreditation Association for Ambulatory Health Care and is staffed by licensed Physicians, Nurse Practitioners, Nurses, and Technicians. All of our physicians are board-certified either in Family Practice or Internal Medicine. The SHS staff are committed to helping students maintain healthy lifestyles.
Our goals are to:
- Provide accessible, timely, primary care that is personalized, confidential, cost effective and meets the high standards of the Accreditation Association of Ambulatory Health Care.
- Educate our students, emphasizing health promotion, healthy life styles, and lifelong disease prevention.
- Assist the campus community in providing a supportive environment for students to pursue personal wellness.
I Am An Extension Student/esl Student/spouse Of A Student/staff/faculty Can I Be Seen At Student Health
SHS is for the exclusive use of full time, registered UCSD students, and certain others with special arrangements. International/English Language Program students may be seen at Student Health at no charge for most services . As Student Health is supported by student registration fees, we are unable to see other Extension students, staff, faculty, or family members.
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Tetanus Diphtheria And Acellular Pertussis
The Tdap vaccine is recommended once as an adult and then reverts to Tetanus/Diphtheria once every ten years. It is also given as a booster when pregnant. This vaccine protects you from tetanus most commonly a risk after being wounded or bitten diphtheria is an upper respiratory tract illness characterized by sore throat, low fever, and an adherent membrane on the tonsils, pharynx, and/or nasal cavity acellular pertussis is an adult form of the pertussis vaccine. Each year we see several cases of pertussis in our community. It is a very contagious disease requiring isolation for a period of multiple days while on medication. This cough can linger for several months even when the period of contagiousness is over, and this can affect your sleep, socialization and academics.
Uc President Issues Flu Vaccine Mandate
Ariel Andres
Staff Writer
On Oct. 8, University of California President Michael V. Drake announced via press release and
executive order a flu vaccine mandate for all UC students, faculty, academic appointees, and staff. They must be vaccinated by Nov. 19, 2021 and can be vaccinated by on or off-campus providers.
For those who do not want to be vaccinated, they may opt to decline by completing a Vaccine Declination Statement, which is provided by their schools health department, by the same vaccine deadline. There are no specific exemption requirements anyone can opt to decline. However, choosing to do so means that they must also adhere to other safety practices, such as wearing masks and undergoing routine testing as determined by their school.
President Drake outlined two primary reasons for this executive order: to reduce the number of severe cases of the flu virus and to prevent our healthcare systems from being overwhelmed. He cited multiple studies proving the effectiveness of the flu vaccine in preventing severe symptoms and deaths. Finally, he referred to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices recommendations regarding the flu vaccine.
The general response for the mandate seems to be positive among students and medical staff. Skripkus mentioned that there has not been any pushback at all from medical staff. For students, they mostly either support it or do not mind it.
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If My Insurance Is Covered By A Parent Or Spouse How Can I Keep My Information Private
If you are covered by a parent or spouse, use this link to register your desire to keep your medical information private:
On the main SHS web site, click on “Appointments”. Log in with your PID and PAC and click on the “Profile” tab. There you can edit your local address, local phone number, and emergency contact.
Optional And Travel Immunizations
The Student Health Center offers several non-required vaccinations:
- Immunizations for students who are traveling internationally. See our Travel Immunization page for more details.
- Human Papillomavirus or “HPV”
- Hepatitis A, Hepatitis B, and Hepatitis A/Hepatitis B combination vaccine
- Japanese Encephalitis
- Meningococcal vaccines, including Meningococcal Group B . We strongly recommend Meningococcal Group B vaccinations for all students due to the severity of the disease.
- Pneumococcal vaccines, including Pneumovax
- Polio
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Temporary Change To Absence From Work Policy Extended Through June 30 2021
- UC President Michael Drake, M.D., has approved an extension through June 30, 2021, of the temporary change to the Absence from Work Policy for policy-covered staff employees, intended to offer relief to parents during the COVID-19 pandemic. Policy-covered staff employees may use all of their accrued sick leave if they are unable to work or telework because they are caring for children who cannot be physically present at school or at their place of care due to the pandemic. Subject to collective bargaining, a similar expansion of the use of sick leave is available to represented staff employees who have accrued sick leave. Also extended through June 30, 2021, is the time period during which paid administrative leave may be used for COVID-19-related reasons. More information can be found here and here.
How Often Should I Have A General Checkup
Contrary to what many people think, most healthy young people do not need a regular physical examination or blood work. Routine recommendations for young adults are for blood pressure and weight checks about every 2 years, a cholesterol check every 5 years after age 35, annual STD testing and PAP smears if you are sexually active, and maintenance of current immunizations. Additional examination and lab testing may be indicated if you are having abnormal signs or symptoms, or have a personal or family history of certain medical conditions. You may make an appointment for a well check if you would like a review of your risk factors and health recommendations. Please note, if you are a sexually active woman, your annual gynecological exam will include a general checkup.
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Will Details Of My Medical Care Be Kept Confidential Even From My Parents
California state law and the federal Health Insurance Portability and Accounting Act of 1996 protect the confidentiality of communications between health professionals and their patients. At SHS, we will not discuss information about you with others without your consent except as required by law. See link to consent information.
Employee Return To Work After Covid
- In adherence with CalOSHA policies, all UC Santa Barbara employees, including student employees, must stay in isolation or quarantine outside of the workplace for 10 days following a COVID-19 diagnosis or close contact exposure . However, as outlined in a recent message from the campus COVID-19 Response Team, the required 10 day period can be shortened to 5 days by meeting certain conditions and following certain protocols, such as being free of COVID-19 symptoms and providing a negative test result. The type of test required and manner in which it is taken vary by vaccination status. Complete details are in the .
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How Do I Get My Lab Results Can I Get A Copy
Most test results are sent to you via secure e-mail. If you did not receive them, or if you would like an official copy, you may call or go to your provider’s group where you had your appointment to get your lab results. You may also obtain a copy from Medical Records, once your provider has signed the results. Note: HIV test results can only be given in person. The laboratory staff cannot give you lab results.
If you were seen in Urgent Care, most providers have their main offices in one of the Groups . Call the group directly for results. If your provider works in Urgent Care only , call 534-3302 and ask to be connected for results.
The groups keep a copy of test results for 2-3 weeks. After this, you can request a copy of results from Medical Records on the first floor of SHS 534-2139. The laboratory staff cannot give you lab results.
Request Immunization Review For Ucsb Mandatory Entrance Immunizations
If you are uncertain which immunization you need, registered students can schedule an Immunization Compliance appointment online:
- Log on to the Patient Portal Gateway
- Select Messages
Join a Qless line to schedule an appointment.Due to high demand, please allow at least 3 business days to receive a response.
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Get Your Flu Vaccination Before Nov 1
Faculty and staff members still in need of a flu vaccination should contact their primary care providers or visit their local pharmacy.
Student Health Services is holding flu shot clinics through Oct. 30 for students still in need of a flu vaccination. Appointments can be made online through the Student Health Gateway patient portal. More information is available at Student Health.