Although Georgetown was one of the first campuses in the area to receive shipments of the H1N1 vaccination, the university’s Student Health Center remains unable to distribute seasonal flu or H1N1 vaccines, despite [high campus demand](https://www.thehoya.com/news/university-prepares-campus-potential-h1n1-cases/).

“We are [waiting] for two different types of flu vaccine,” said James Welsh, the university’s assistant vice president for student health. “[The] H1N1 vaccine is coming to us via the D.C. Department of Health. We have been promised vaccines, but the shipment dates have moved back each week.”

The last official campus health advisory regarding the H1N1 flu was posted on Georgetown’s Health Preparedness Web site on Oct. 30, indicating that approximately 490 students have reported experiencing flu-like symptoms – attributed to both H1N1 and the seasonal flu – since the beginning of the semester. The university has no H1N1 vaccine currently in stock, Welsh reported.

“We are still hopeful to receive the [H1N1] vaccine in the coming weeks, but must await an allocation from the Department of Health. They choose where to allocate vaccine to based on the [Centers for Disease Control and Prevention] priority lists, and thus far have focused on younger persons,” Welsh said.

The D.C. Department of Health announced in an online update Nov. 13 that health care workers would be placed at the highest priority to receive the H1N1 vaccine, and that the department would adhere to the CDC’s priorities in determining future allocation. According to the CDC Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, priority groups include health care and emergency medical services personnel, pregnant women, people who live with or care for children under the age of 6 months, those between the ages of 6 months and 24 years old and those between 25 and 64 years old who are at higher risk due to chronic health disorders or compromised immune systems.

According to Welsh, Georgetown has ordered 7,500 doses of the seasonal flu vaccine from its usual distributor. The university received its first shipment of the vaccine on Oct. 1, but [the supply provided in the initial shipment was exhausted by Oct. 6](https://www.thehoya.com/news/suspension-flu-vaccine-distribution-remains-effect/).

“We received 2,800 [doses for the seasonal flu], but have been told for the last several weeks that they are currently unable to deliver additional doses to us,” Welsh said. “We have not been given any timeline on when we may receive additional seasonal flu vaccine.”

In response to the delay, Welsh said the university has contacted numerous other sources to obtain the seasonal flu vaccine, including manufacturers, other distributors and the Georgetown University Medical Center.

The Student Health Center maintains a small stock reserve of seasonal flu vaccine for students with chronic illnesses who are susceptible to developing serious complications from contracting the H1N1 virus. The seasonal flu vaccine does not protect the student against complications that may develop from an infection by H1N1.

Other D.C. universities have been forced to ration vaccine distribution as a result of the health department’s limitations. The George Washington University’s Student Health Service announced in a Nov. 12 advisory that they had received a partial shipment of 500 doses of H1N1 vaccination.

Following CDC recommendations, GWU is currently offering only the H1N1 vaccine to high-risk students: pregnant women, members of a household with children under 6 years of age and caregivers for children in that age range.

In an effort to promote the continued distribution of seasonal flu vaccines, GWU will be hosting a seasonal flu clinic on Nov. 17 to distribute an estimated 1,400 doses of the vaccine, which will be available to students, faculty and staff with a GWorld card – the equivalent of Georgetown’s GOCard.

American University is currently awaiting its first shipment of the H1N1 vaccine. Since the start of the academic year, 178 students have reported flu-like symptoms, according to American University spokesperson Maralee Csellar.

“The director of our student health center has been in regular contact with the D.C. Department of Health and the Centers for Disease Control regarding H1N1 updates,” Csellar said. “The university has ordered the vaccine, and we hope to receive a shipment shortly so that we will be able to distribute the vaccine to our students, faculty and staff.”