Dear students, faculty, staff, and parents,

As you probably know, the H1N1 (swine) flu virus is already affecting college campuses throughout the United States. It is also the time of year when seasonal flu is here. We are closely monitoring flu conditions, statistics, and recommendations reported by the N.Y.C. Department of Health and the Centers for Disease Control to help us make decisions about the best steps to take concerning our institution. We will keep you updated with new information as it becomes available to us.

Flu can be spread easily from person to person. Therefore, we are taking steps to prevent the spread of flu at Juilliard for as long as possible, but we need your help to accomplish this. Here are a few things you can do to help:

• Practice good hand hygiene by washing your hands with soap and water, especially after coughing or sneezing. Alcohol-based hand cleaners also are effective. Use the hand sanitizer pumps that are mounted throughout the School. Health Services also has free hand sanitizer packets.
• Practice respiratory etiquette by covering 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.  Avoid touching your eyes, nose, or mouth; germs are spread this way. Throw used tissues away immediately.
• Avoid touching your eyes, nose, or mouth.
• Know the signs and symptoms of the flu. A fever is a temperature taken with a thermometer that is equal to or greater than 100 degrees Fahrenheit or 38 degrees Celsius. Look for possible signs of fever: if the person feels very warm, has a flushed appearance, or is sweating or shivering.
• Stay home if you have flu or flu-like illness for at least 24 hours after you no longer have a fever (100 degrees Fahrenheit or 38 degrees Celsius) or signs of a fever (have chills, feel very warm, have a flushed appearance, or are sweating). This should be determined without the use of fever-reducing medications (any medicine that contains ibuprofen or acetaminophen). Don’t go to class or work. Students can get disposable thermometers from the Health Services clinic to monitor their temperature.
• If feasible, students living in the residence hall should try to have a plan in place for your parents or a family member to pick you up so that you can recuperate at home (or at the home of a relative) in the event you become ill with the flu.
• Avoid close contact with people who have a cold or the flu, including hugging, kissing, and sharing food or drink.
• 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 flu, you should consider getting the H1N1 vaccine if it becomes available this fall. People at higher risk for 2009 H1N1 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.
• Free seasonal flu shots will be available through Health Services. We will notify the community through e-mail and other announcements when they become available. You may get a shot through Health Services if you are a Juilliard staff or faculty member, or an enrolled college-level student.

Notify the School if you or someone close to you becomes ill with the flu.  It is important that we are able to monitor and report any developments within our own community. 

• Students should contact Health Services at ext. 282 or by e-mail to Healthservices@juilliard.edu if they become ill with flu-like symptoms. Students with any chronic underlying illness (i.e., asthma, diabetes) should make sure that the Health Services clinic (ext. 282) is aware of the condition.    
• Faculty and staff should contact Human Resources at ext. 355 or by e-mail: humanresourcesdl@juilliard.edu if they become ill. Staff members should also notify their supervisors and faculty should notify the appropriate department.

Please check this Web site frequently for updates. If there is an urgent situation that requires immediate notification, the School will utilize the Juilliard Community Alert System (JCAS) that sends out text messages. We will also send out community-wide e-mails if warranted.

You can access additional information at the following Web sites:

New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene: www.nyc.gov/html/doh/html/home/home.shtml

Poster on H1N1 “swine” flu: www.nyc.gov/html/doh/downloads/pdf/cd/h1n1_flu_basic_faq.pdf

H1N1 Flu; What New Yorkers need to Know: www.nyc.gov/html/doh/downloads/pdf/cd/h1n1_flu_faq.pdf

Centers for Disease Control (CDC) flu Web site: www.cdc.gov/flu/