Vern Fisher / McClatchy Tribune

Due to the pressing demands that the pandemic influenza virus, H1N1, and seasonal flu have placed on Fresno State, a special H1N1 task force has been created.

David Moll, assistant vice president of risk management and sustainability, put together the task force in March of 2009. The force was initially created to deal with a possible outbreak during the 2009 graduation. While an outbreak never occurred, Moll said that if one had, the task force was ready to act immediately, putting into place a sanitation plan.

Fresno State has been monitoring the H1N1 situation for months. Over the summer, four Fresno State students were confirmed to have H1N1.

According to Moll, the present goal of the task force is to determine what course of action to take in case of an H1N1 outbreak.

“The H1N1 vaccine will not be available until early November,â€Â Moll said. “We have to determine what to do if an out break occurs in the meantime. Right now we are following the Center for Disease Control and Prevention’s guidelines for higher education.â€Â

Even though the threat of an H1N1 outbreak is cause for concern, the true task at hand is dealing with the more common and widespread Seasonal Flu.

“Right now our main concern is how to distribute Seasonal Flu aid,â€Â Moll said. “We have to try to stop the spreading of the regular flu first.â€Â
Steven Martinez, director of risk management, believes that initial measures for prevention are just as important as receiving treatment once infected.

“Precautionary measures are most important,â€Â Martinez said.

In order to spread the word about flu prevention, the H1N1 task force has placed flyers around campus detailing the proper prevention methods and what individuals can do to help stop the spreading of germs and, consequently, the flu.

The Fresno State Student Health Center and the Department of Public Health have created a brochure that helps identify the two types of flu — the Seasonal Flu and the Pandemic Flu H1N1. The brochure outlines the symptoms of each flu, which demographic of people are at greatest risk for infection and preventative actions people can take in order to protect themselves.

Moll said the task force is encouraging students to be responsible if they come down with the flu. He also said they are encouraging faculty to be flexible with assignments for sick students in order to minimize the possibility of the virus spreading, and to give sick students time to fully recover.

Junior Joey Lucchesi believes any information made available to students will help.

“If people know what they need to do to protect themselves, then the flu might not be as widespread,â€Â Lucchesi said. “Getting the information out and making it readily available will hopefully go a long way in stopping the spreading of either type of flu.â€Â
Another prevention method Fresno State will implement is the Seasonal Flu shot. On Sept. 23, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., Fresno State will be administering flu shots to any students who want them.
Moll said he is happy with the progress so far, and hopes the preparation already accomplished will go a long way in limiting the number of students that will succumb to the flu in the upcoming months.