First test of new college year - curbing flu

By Emily Sherman
CNN

WASHINGTON (CNN) - As college students prepare to head back to school, government officials are emphasizing tips to combat and curb the H1N1 virus and seasonal flu on the nation's campuses.

The tips released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention include the oft-repeated using alcohol-based hand sanitizer, washing hands often, and covering one's mouth in a cough or sneeze.

Government officials who participated in a conference call with reporters Thursday also talked up two other techniques for college students: getting vaccinated when the H1N1 vaccine becomes available, and staying in self-isolation for those who do get the flu.

"We're hoping we're on track to be ahead of this virus, to get the college-age population vaccinated once it becomes available in mid-October, and to keep students as safe and secure as possible," Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius told reporters in the conference call.

While prevention and education were highlighted on the call - which included Education Secretary Arne Duncan - Dr. Beth Bell, deputy director of the National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases at the CDC, emphasized that students who do get sick should keep themselves away from others.

"Self-isolation means keeping sick people away from healthy people," Bell said. "This needs to be taken into account in colleges and universities where many students live in residence. For students, this can be done by staying in the dorm rooms, and if you live close to campus, returning home is another strategy."

Sebelius is encouraging campuses to act based on their individual needs.

"There's going to be a lot of variance in college campus's around the country," Sebelius said. "What's appropriate in colleges in Southern California may be a lot different than that for colleges in Maine. We want decisions to be made on a very local basis."

"The upcoming academic year may be a challenging one because of H1N1," Education Secretary Duncan said, but the goal is to "keep students learning, [and] keep institutions open."