Stories of the swine flu have been continuous since the beginning of the semester, and it appears they will continue for a little while longer. UW-L physician Dr. Brian Allen expects another wave of H1N1 to hit campus again soon. Allen stated that the arrival date of this wave is unknown, but he anticipates it could be anywhere from eight weeks to six months from now. If on the earlier side, it could be prevalent during finals. In the last three weeks, the Student Health Center has encountered a large increase of flu-like illness. Staff saw about 150 people with flu-like symptoms and six H1N1 tests came back positive. Allen predicted that this would only increase with the next wave, which he says has the "potential to be a little worse." Allen attributes this to the time of year, as the flu season usually begins before Christmas and continues through February. The H1N1 vaccine is in short supply at UW-L. Right now it is only available to high-risk patients. Others who have an increased chance of spreading the illness have also been vaccinated, including student teachers, and soon, those in residence hall overflow rooms. To protect yourself from the second wave of H1N1, Allen suggested investigating the availability of the vaccine in your county while home for Thanksgiving. Being able to receive your vaccine at UW-L doesn’t look promising. The Student Health Center has received small amounts, but Allen is unsure about when they will get more. Despite its lack of availability, Allen stressed that getting vaccinated is very important. According to the La Crosse Tribune, two children in the Coulee Region are suspected to have died from H1N1 complications. Although these victims were both very young, college students have gotten their fair share of swine flu, as well. UW-L student, Greg Lampe developed the swine flu recently, missing several weeks of class. "Swine flu is the single worst academic crisis one can have. I would have rather had my hard-drive break, and I've had that happen before" he stated. Lampe also added, "For the most part the faculty and staff have been understanding and encouraging, but I have had to drop a class and become a part-time student."
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