Vaccinations against the H1N1 influenza variety have been dispensed to thousands of people, but the number of college students receiving the shots is comparatively small.
Public health officials at the state and local levels expressed concern this week about the significant gap in immunization for young adults between the ages of 19 and 24 years.
About 515 persons received the H1N1 vaccination Friday at a special clinic held at the Moore County Health Department. The department plans to conduct another such clinic on Thursday, Jan. 7, also from 2 p.m. until 6:30.
"Our young people are our greatest resource, and we want to make sure they remain healthy," Dr. Jeffrey Engel, state health director, said in a statement.Engel added that the holidays make "a perfect time for parents to ensure that their teens and college students are vaccinated against H1N1."
The Moore County Health Department conducted extensive H1N1 flu vaccination clinics in the local public schools and at participating private schools during a span of several weeks this fall. That provided an opportunity for high school students to receive the vaccinations.
However, college students were not vaccinated unless they received the shots at their doctors' offices or at special clinics conducted by pharmacies and other businesses.
Many college students will still be at home on their holiday break when the Health Department holds its second general clinic on Jan. 7.
No H1N1 vaccination clinics were held at Sandhills Community College, according to spokeswoman Karen Manning. Seasonal flu vaccinations were provided to faculty and staff in early fall, when students with participating private insurance were also given an opportunity to receive the vaccination.
Manning said the college did promote an extensive campaign to educate students, staff and faculty about measures to prevent the spread of disease. Information about hygiene practices was provided on posters across the campus, on the college Web site and on tables in the cafeteria. Hand sanitizers were available at various points on campus.
So far, Sandhills has experienced no outbreak of influenza of any variety, she said.
Statistics gathered by the N.C. Division of Public Health reveal that people of college age are the least likely to be immunized against H1N1, despite the fact that they are among the target population designated as most vulnerable to this variety of flu.
Seriousness of this issue was illustrated recently with the death of a student at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Her death was attributed to complications arising from H1N1 flu.
More than 495,000 students are enrolled in colleges in North Carolina. To date, slightly more than 60,000 people between the ages of 19 and 24 years have been vaccinated, according to the state.
Campus immunization campaigns apparently have reached just a fraction of that number, according to Engel. The latest estimates indicate that fewer than 13 percent of the H1N1 vaccine doses provided by the state went to traditional college-age students.
"We have good supplies of H1N1 vaccine on hand." Engel said. "The peak of seasonal flu is approaching in late January. Getting both vaccinations now is the best way to protect yourself and your family against both seasonal and the H1N1 virus."
As of mid-December, North Carolina had reported 76 deaths from H1N1. Pregnant women, people with chronic illnesses and compromised immune systems, and young children are considered to be the high risk categories for H1N1 flu, but this form of flu has also had a disproportionate impact on young people who otherwise appear to be healthy, according to Engel.
At present the seasonal flu vaccine is difficult to find, but it is available at a limited number of doctors' offices and pharmacies.
The federal government paid for the H1N1 vaccine, and the only charge for receiving that vaccination is the administration fee charged at doctors' offices and at private businesses. Fees vary. The regular fee for both vaccine and administration is charged for the seasonal flu vaccine.
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