Update: September 3, 2009
CIEE continues to closely monitor the H1N1 situation around the world. CIEE Resident Staff at CIEE Study Centers around the world are regularly updating Program Directors in the United States on local information related to flu outbreaks, availability of seasonal flu medications, timetables for the availability and distribution of H1N1 vaccines, local university and city plans in case of outbreaks, etc.
Please see the general CIEE Emergency planning process for additional information on the CIEE approach to health and safety.
For fall 2009 semester participants, CIEE included the following information in pre-departure materials for CIEE Study Center program. Resident Staff are also including information on H1N1 in the fall 2009 on-site program orientations and will be updating semester students as local conditions change.
Message to Fall 2009 participants
With the recent upgrading of the H1N1 flu to a pandemic, many governments have initiated some additional precautions in order to minimize the spread of the flu in their countries including thermal imagery scanning machines prior to arriving at the immigration checkpoint and required health questionnaires for airline passengers. If health officials find evidence of concern, there may be additional health checks and, in some cases, passengers may be quarantined.
If you are delayed en route to the program site due to any health concerns, including H1N1-related problems, please contact the CIEE Resident Staff. Contact information for the CIEE Resident Staff for your program has been provided in the Final Mailing document that you have recently received.
The likelihood of being quarantined is very low. However, if you are quarantined due to H1N1-related problems, it is very important that you contact CIEE, your parents, and the local U.S. Embassy or Consulate.
Know before you go:
The Center for Disease Control (CDC) and World Health Organization (WHO) have valuable information and updates on their websites that will allow you to learn more about the H1N1 flu and its impact on various countries around the world.
- Check the following websites for updates on the worldwide H1N1 flu pandemic:
- Make sure that you are up-to-date with routine vaccinations and, if available, consider getting a seasonal influenza vaccine before you leave the U.S.
- Learn more about health issues in the country that you have chosen for study abroad by visiting the U.S. State Department website: http://travel.state.gov/ Foreign newspaper websites are another good source for learning about the impact of H1N1 on your study abroad destination.
- Use the following link to obtain the contact information for the U.S. Embassy or Consulate in your destination country: http://www.usembassy.gov/
- Check your airline’s website for specific information about airline policies and procedures regarding H1N1 flu.
- Please contact a physician immediately if you develop flu-like symptoms prior to departure from the U.S. If it has been determined by a physician that you cannot leave the U.S. on your scheduled flight due to H1N1 flu, you should contact your CIEE Enrollment Officer as soon as possible.
- Your CIEE on-site orientation will include a session on local health and safety issues. Specific information about local hospitals and clinics will be provided during this orientation.