Flu vaccination information

Reminder: First free Student Flu Shot Clinic is tomorrow

While it’s not possible to say with certainty what will happen in the fall and winter, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) believes it’s likely that flu viruses and the virus that causes COVID-19 both will be present in our communities. The CDC recommends that all people age 6 months and older get a yearly flu vaccine.

Student Health will hold two free flu vaccine clinics for students on the following dates and times:

• TOMORROW, Thursday, Oct 29, River Room, IMU (5 to 8 p.m.)
• Tuesday, Nov 3, River Room, IMU (5 to 8 p.m.)

Please come prepared and keep the following in mind if you plan to attend:

• You must bring your student ID.
• Do not attend if you have a fever or any symptoms of illness, or if you've been tested for COVID-19 in the previous 14 days. A health screening will be conducted upon your arrival.
• Please wear a shirt that has sleeves that can roll up and be prepared to completely expose your upper arm.
• Wear a face mask and pay attention to signage related to social distancing and line spacing.

For more information, see the Student Health website.

Reminder for employees

In a year when many things feel out of our control, getting a flu vaccine is one thing that you can do to make a difference and keep yourself and others healthy. Getting vaccinated is convenient and considerate. Get vaccinated for yourself, for your friends, and for your family.

See the Sept. 28 COVID-19 update for more information about flu vaccination opportunities for employees.

Mental health resources: Kognito suicide prevention training

People in distress often turn to those they know rather than seek professional help. Kognito Mental Health and Suicide Prevention training offered by the university will give you the tools to start the conversation and make a difference.

The online course teaches participants how to identify mental health concerns and suicidal tendencies among their peers.

This training is available to all faculty, staff, and students. For more information on how to access the training, visit the University Counseling Service website. Join us in promoting mental health and preventing suicide among fellow Hawks. You matter!

For more information about mental health resources, see mentalhealth.uiowa.edu.

For counseling and support, the Employee Assistance Program offers confidential counseling at no cost for UI employees and their families; or University Counseling Service offers confidential counseling and support for students.

Campus operations

Please continue to do your part to limit the spread of COVID-19 on campus and in the community. We must remain vigilant as a community, and if necessary, will consider additional actions, in coordination with Johnson County Public Health, the Iowa Department of Public Health, and the Board of Regents, State of Iowa.

University of Iowa self-reported COVID-19 testing

These data reflect new cases since Oct. 26, 2020.

The University of Iowa has published an updated snapshot of self-reported positive COVID-19 tests from faculty, staff, and students.

Number of self-reported cases of COVID-19

Students

• New cases: 17
• Semester-to-date: 2149

Employees

• New cases: 5
• Semester-to-date: 91

These numbers reflect only self-reported positive or presumed positive COVID-19 tests from UI faculty, staff, and students on the academic campus since Aug. 18, 2020. These data will not match data reported by UI Hospitals & Clinics or by the Iowa Department of Public Health for several reasons, including different testing time intervals and geographic scope. Students who also are employees of the university are only reported in the student number to avoid double counting. The UI has more than 30,000 students and nearly 30,000 employees. Many employees continue to work remotely but have self-reported to authorize sick leave.

Number of residence hall students in quarantine: 3*

Number of residence hall students in self-isolation: 7**

*Quarantine: Quarantine is used to keep someone who might have been exposed to COVID-19 away from others.

**Self-isolation: Isolation is used to separate people infected with the virus (those who are symptomatic and those with no symptoms) from people who are not infected.