UNM is planning far in advance for what could be a very significant flu season. Not only is the UNM Health Sciences Center planning for the annual seasonal flu, but also the next anticipated wave of the H1N1 flu, sometimes called “swine flu.”

For the seasonal flu, HSC has ordered 45,000 doses of vaccine to administer through HSC’s clinical facilities on – and off‐campus. When the vaccine is received, HSC will publicize dates, times and locations where people can get a flu shot. Locations will include UNM Hospital, Student Health Center, Lobo Care Clinic and UNM family clinics throughout the city.

While the seasonal flu vaccine is important for people who fall into high‐risk categories, it will not be effective against the H1N1 influenza. That’s why the Centers for Disease Control and vaccine manufacturers are hard at work developing a separate vaccine, expected to be available in September or October. Unlike the seasonal flu vaccine which takes only one dose, the CDC anticipates protection against the H1N1 virus will require an initial vaccination followed by a booster at a later date.

One reason UNM is working hard to prepare for a potential H1N1 outbreak is that unlike the seasonal flu, which primarily affects infants and the elderly, the World Health Organization reports that the H1N1 influenza has disproportionally affected people 6 – 24 years old. That age group is a CDC priority for receiving the vaccine, and HSC and UNM will work with the New Mexico Department of Health to administer pandemic vaccine to students within that age group when it is available. (more…)

With reports of swine influenza confirmed in several states, the UNM Health Sciences Center and UNM Hospitals are preparing for the potential incidence of the flu here. UNM medical professionals say there are precautions that everyone can take.

For more information visit: Swine Brochure — English or Swine Brochure — Spanish.

Currently, there are no reported cases of swine influenza in New Mexico. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has the most current information about the swine flu, including the latest numbers on human infections in the U.S., signs and symptoms, prevention tips, medical treatment, etc. To learn more visit http://www.cdc.gov/swineflu/ or access it in Spanish.

For UNM information, visit the UNM Student Health Center website at, http://shac.unm.edu/announcements.htm or call (505) 277‑3136.

A recent New York Times article lamented problems with health insurance for college students. College Parents of America President James A. Boyle was quoted and published commentary on the College Parents of America Web site. Mr. Boyle asserts that “the college health care system is broken.” His major concern is that “the vast majority of campus health centers fail
students and their families by refusing to accept private health insurance already bought and paid for by you the parents.” He was critical of the fact that some universities require students to have insurance before they can attend while others insist students purchase a university‐sponsored health insurance program.

I am happy to report that UNM bucks the national trend in several ways. Students are not required to have health insurance to attend UNM or to come to the Student Health Center. UNM does offer a university‐sponsored health insurance program, but it is
not required. This health insurance policy is reviewed and updated annually and provided free to most graduate students. Presently, about 2,500 students carry the policy. As to using other types of insurance on campus, UNM is ahead of the game there, as well. SHC providers are registered members of the Lovelace, Presbyterian and United networks. According to a survey done about a year ago, some 60 percent of UNM students are insured by these networks. These students come to the Student Health Center for care and we bill their insurance company. If your student carries insurance from a company not listed here, they can obtain a receipt the day of service and submit it to their insurance for reimbursement.

I hope this information is reassuring to parents. If you have any other questions or concerns, please don’t hesitate to contact the Student Health Center.

Peggy Spencer, M.D., has been serving UNM students for 16 years.

New research shows that parents influence a child’s likelihood of involvement with drugs, alcohol and risky sexual activity even after their child leaves for college.

Brigham Young University scientist Laura Walker’s study, to be published in an upcoming issue of the Journal of Youth and Adolescence, found that parents’ awareness of what’s going on in their child’s life at college is associated with fewer risky behaviors. Specifically, students with fathers in the loop had a lower likelihood of doing drugs or engaging in risky sexual behaviors.

When mothers were in the know, students were less likely to drink alcohol. The protective effect of mothers’ awareness was more pronounced when the students also felt close to their mom. Under those circumstances, the researchers found that students were less likely to be involved in any of the three risk behavior categories studied: drugs, alcohol and risky sexual activity. Read More.

UNM’s Student Health Center is offering flu shots for students with current UNM IDs. The cost is $13, unless the student is enrolled in the Student Health Insurance Plan A or the Grad Plan. Cash, checks, or a charge to the Student Account is accepted. The SHC is open Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. (Tuesdays open at 9 a.m.) 

Flu‐shot clinics are also scheduled at various locations on campus. Check the SHC Web site for updates, or call 277‑3136.

UNM’s Manzanita Counseling Center provides free, confidential counseling services for families and students.

Graduate students in the Counselor Education master’s degree program counsel clients under the direct supervision of UNM licensed counseling faculty and doctoral students.

Counselors specialize in life transitions and adjustment to changes, relationship issues, stress management, family conflict, anxiety and depression, dealing with loss and anger management.

Manzanita Counseling is located in Manzanita Hall east of the Kiva Building on UNM’s main campus. Clinic hours are from 10 – 1 and 4 – 7 Mondays and Wednesdays throughout the academic school year.

The center’s mission is to provide excellent, free counseling services to the community in a relaxing environment conducive to personal growth.

UNM’s Student Health Center has walk‐in counseling services for students who have stress or concerns following the tragedy at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University. SHC is located near the Student Union Building on the main campus.

An SHC‐sponsored “Debriefing Group” will be offered Friday, April 20, at 2 p.m. in room 234. Dr. Peggy Spencer, MD, and Harry Linneman, Ph.D, are sharing tips for dealing with tramautic stress online and in the Daily Lobo student newspaper. The American Psychological Association is another good reference in times of crisis.

UNM’s Dean of Students Office on the second floor of the student services building will also accommodate walk‐ins. Students who live in campus housing can seek counseling from Residence Hall advisors.

The Agora Crisis Center is also offering peer counseling to UNM and throughout the state and nation. In Albuquerque, call 277‑3013. Nationwide, call 1 – 866-HELP-1-NM.

Faculty and staff are served by UNM’s Counseling Assistance and Referral Services.

Campus safety is always a concern for parents and a foremost priority for the university, which has its own sworn police force. UNM Police reiterate the need for people to be observant, to take seriously things that appear suspicious and to report them to police. They also ask that those on campus be proactive, and if someone they know appears to be at risk and needs help, please tell someone in authority who can arrange assistance.

A new report, “Wasting the Best and Brightest,” by the National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse challenges the notion that college drinking is an inevitable “rite of passage” and calls on educators, alumni and parents to take a bolder stand against underage drinking and substance abuse.

Jill Anne Yeagley, manager of the UNM Campus Office of Substance Abuse Prevention sees similar issues and trends among UNM students, noting that the behaviors reflect a culture that socializes youths to medicate every discomfort and to regard substance abuse as harmless and deserved.

National researchers warn that college students’ substance use has become more extreme and dangerous over the past decade. Frequent binge drinking increased 16 percent* and abuse of controlled prescription drugs skyrocketed between 93 and 343 percent, depending on the drug. In turn, this increased intensity led to a significant escalation in negative consequences. From 1993 to 2001, the proportion of students injured as a result of their own drinking rose by 38 percent and student deaths from unintentional alcohol‐related injuries rose by six percent to 1,717 between 1998 and 2001. (more…)