Elim Bible Institute is committed to the health and safety of our students, faculty and staff and want you to remain fully informed about current precautions recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the New York State Department of Health (NYSDH) to help prevent the occurrence of H1N1 (swine flu). We are staying in contact with these agencies and are closely monitoring the upcoming flu season and will respond as necessary.

Individuals play an important role in keeping themselves healthy and reducing the spread of any infections. Here are three steps to take:

1. Get vaccinated, if appropriate. Per CDC recommendation, parents are encouraged to insure that their college-age children are vaccinated with BOTH the influenza AND the H1N1 vaccines as soon as those become available.  A good opportunity for many of our students could be when they return home over fall break (Oct 9-6).
2. Follow good health protocols. Eat a well-balanced diet, get plenty of rest and practice proper hygiene. Regular hand-washing is critical to reducing the spread of germs. Elim recommends using alcohol-based hand sanitizers.
3. Learn more about H1N1 and how to protect yourself at these resources.
   • New York State Department of Health (NYSDH)
     http://www.nyhealth.gov/diseases/communicable/influenza/h1n1/
     NYSDH Hotline: 1-800-808-1987 (available 24/7)
   • The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
     http://ww.cdc.gov/h1n1flu
   • The World Health Organization (WHO)
     http://www.who.int/en
   • Elim Bible Institute web site
     http://www.elim.edu (this site will keep you updated on information specific to our campus)

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

How may I learn more about H1N1 (Swine Flu)?

• Current information is available on the following web sites:
• New York State Department of Health (NYSDH) http://www.nyhealth.gov/diseases/communicable/influenza/h1n1/ New York State Hotline: 1-800-808-1987 - available 24/7
• The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu
• The World Health Organization (WHO) www.who.int/en
• The U.S. Department of Health & Human Services www.flu.gov

How may I view updates about Elim’s preparedness and response to a potential H1N1 outbreak on campus?

• Check the Elim Bible Institute site at elim.edu

What is Elim Bible Institute doing to inform and assist the Elim community during flu season?

• Elim is providing information in posters, web updates, and bulletin boards on preventative measures and instructions, and professional presentations in general assembly meetings for staff and students.
• Alcohol-based antiseptic hand wash will be available at various high-traffic areas on the campus and the Elim housekeeping staff has placed an increased emphasis on the cleaning of all common areas, computer labs, etc.

How will Elim Bible Institute respond to any incidences of H1N1 on campus?

• The Elim Dean of Students department has an actively engaged response system through resident advisors to institute procedures in case of an outbreak.
• We will follow the guidelines issued by the CDC as well as those from the local and state health department authorities in an effort to minimize and contain H1N1.
• Students who may have contracted H1N1 or any ILI (influenza like illness) will be asked to refrain from all social contact, including class attendance, until at least 24 hours after the fever has subsided (without the use of any fever reducing medications).
• If a student's health or the health of a student living in student housing is compromised, the Elim housing staff may reassign non-infected roommates to alternative housing assignments.

If a student misses class, will Elim allow the student to make up missed class assignments?

• Students are responsible for immediately notifying their professors of their illness and making reasonable arrangements for completing missed assignments. Our faculty has been informed that they are to make every effort to work with infected students online so that they do not fall behind.

If a student withdraws because of illness, will tuition and other fees be reimbursed?

• Please refer to the academic catalog for refund policies regarding withdrawals. The catalog can be found at: http://www.elim.edu/files/PDF/students/student_handbook09-10.pdf

Do you anticipate having to close the school because of the H1N1 threat?

• The CDC has indicated that they do not recommend at this time that schools be closed due to H1N1 outbreaks. If that changes, we will provide updated information on our web site.