Flu shots start with those at 'high risk'

Flu shot season is here again, as health services has started offering the vaccine to "high risk" individuals as of today, and announced the mid-November dates for campus-wide injections.

Students, staff and faculty who meet the "high risk" definition can get their flu shots at the health services clinic (right) on a walk-in basis between 2 and 4 p.m. today, or the next four Mondays (October 17, 24, and 31, and November 7).

Among the people who might be on campus and are officially classified as "high risk": police, daycare workers and optometry students currently in clinic; persons 65 years of age or over; those with diabetes or other metabolic disease, chronic cardiac or respiratory conditions (asthma), cancer, kidney disease, blood disorders or anyone whose immune system is weakened; anyone who lives, works or volunteers in a nursing home, retirement home or chronic care facility; people who live in the same household as, or are in close contact with, a person who is at increased risk of the flu’s more serious effects.

For the "healthy" population — everybody who's not classified as high risk — the flu immunization clinic is scheduled for November 16-18 in the Student Life Centre.

According to an Ontario health ministry fact sheet, “Influenza is a serious illness that can lead to pneumonia. The flu shot is safe and it’s the most effective way to protect you and your family from the flu. Studies have found that the flu shot can prevent up to 90% of influenza in healthy adults and children. An Ontario study showed that every year, the flu shot eliminates the need for over 200,000 visits to doctors’ offices and 30,000 visits to hospital emergency departments. It also prevents approximately 300 deaths.”

It says the World Health Organization “determines the three most likely flu virus strains to be circulating in the upcoming flu season. The vaccine is then manufactured to protect against these strains. Because the flu shot contains particles of inactivated (dead) flu virus, you cannot get influenza from the flu shot. The flu shot strengthens your immune system against the three strains of the flu virus. It does this by stimulating your immune system to build up antibodies against the virus, making it stronger so that it’s ready to fight off the illness before it starts.”

The flu shot is recommended for everyone over six months of age, the health ministry says. “The most common side effect from a flu shot is soreness at the injection site. It is usually temporary and rarely interferes with normal activities.”

According to Waterloo’s health services, the first symptoms of Influenza include the sudden onset of fever (accompanied by chills) and muscle or joint aches. “A few hours later a dry cough, head ache, stuffy/runny nose and extreme fatigue or tiredness follow.

“Influenza produces much more significant symptoms than a routine cold does. A person is most likely to spread Influenza to others during the first 2-3 days of their illness but can be infectious for up to 5 days (7 days in young children). If you develop the signs and symptoms of the flu, in order to prevent sharing this illness with colleagues, please remain at home until your temperature is normal, and you are feeling improved.

“Most people who get influenza are ill for only a few days. However, the cough and fatigue can persist for several weeks, slowing the return to full everyday activities.”

If a person experiences the symptoms of any respiratory illness, here’s what to do:

• “Stay home until the symptoms begin to lessen: your temperature is normal and you are feeling improved.”
• “Cover the mouth and nose with a tissue when sneezing or coughing — and then immediately dispose of the used tissue into the garbage and wash hands with soap and warm running water.”
• “If tissues are not available, cough or sneeze into the upper sleeve or elbow of clothing (the ‘Sleeve Sneeze’). The fabric helps to trap the droplets instead of having them sneezed or coughed into hands where they can be easily passed on to others or to surfaces.”
• “Do not visit persons in hospitals or retirement/ long term care homes.”

Influenza spreads by respiratory droplets from infected persons, through coughing or sneezing. It is also spread through direct contact with surfaces contaminated by the influenza virus, such as toys, eating utensils and unwashed hands.

“Everyone is reminded,” the health service advice continues, “that the following simple steps can help to prevent common respiratory and gastro-intestinal (stomach) illnesses that are circulating at this time of year: Wash hands frequently with soap and warm running water — especially before eating, preparing food and after blowing noses or using the washroom.

“Keep an alcohol-based hand rub/sanitizer (either gel or wipes) handy at work, home and in your vehicle to clean hands on a regular basis.”

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Members of executive council — the university's top administrators — were offered a tour of the landmark new Environment 3 building the other day. Dheana Ramsay, alumni officer for the faculty of environment, briefed some of the visitors, including associate provost (graduate studies) Sue Horton, dean of environment André Roy (wait! surely he's familiar with the building by now!), dean of mathematics Ian Goulden, associate provost (students) Bud Walker, and dean of arts Doug Peers. EV3 is "filled with innovations and light-filled work and social spaces," says Betty Bax, also of the environment faculty. 'The tour gives behind-the-scenes information on the building’s sustainable design, construction and performance. The tours are 30 minutes long, student-led and available on Wednesdays at 4 p.m. and Fridays at 12:15." Registration for tours is online.

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And no amount of proofreading is enough

a news release from the media relations office

Waterloo psychology researchers are studying why people end up repeatedly checking locks, doors, stoves, and appliances. Their early findings suggest that checking things more than once is not really worth the effort.

The Waterloo researchers, based in the Anxiety Studies Division of the psych department’s Centre for Mental Health Research, are attempting to understand why once is seldom enough for some people when it comes to checking whether the door is locked or the stove turned off.

The researchers are seeking new participants for their ongoing study of checking, which is due to conclude in 2012. People who have difficulties with checking are invited to participate (call ext. ext. 38809 for information).

"When checking takes more than an hour over the course of the day, causes a lot of distress or interferes with one's ability to function at work or at home, it can be a symptom of obsessive-compulsive disorder," said Christine Purdon (left), professor of psychology.

In Ontario alone, more than 26,000 people are likely to suffer with OCD, she said. "We all have little checking routines, but when we are anxious our checking can become a serious challenge," says Purdon, who is working on the study with graduate student Bianca Bucarelli. "For some people, checking has become a way of life. In order to study why people get stuck checking and re-checking, we are using video and eye-tracking technology to follow people as they complete a checking task."

Preliminary findings, based on about 40 participants, suggest that there's no point in checking repeatedly. In the study, participants complete a checking task while wearing a portable device that records their eye movements, which indicates what has captured their attention. But does focusing so intently on checking actually pay off? The answer is no.

"Our early findings are telling an interesting story," Purdon said. "The more harm people think will come from not checking properly, the more focused they become on checking and the less attentive they become to other things around them. But what we are finding is that the more effort they put into checking, the less confident they are afterwards that they checked properly and the more harm they think will come of having not checked properly. Thus the more you check, the less certain you become that everything is safe and the more you want to check again."

What the researchers think is happening is that the more people are concerned about harm, the more they focus their attention on the item they are checking at the expense of other details in the situation. Afterward, when mentally going through the check, they find themselves unable to remember the details of the situation well enough to trust that the check had been done properly.

Furthermore, they have had time to dwell on the harm that failing to check properly may cause. This together produces a strong urge to check again. More research, though, is required to better understand these processes.

CAR

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