Information for Parents of UI Students
Where can students get the influenza vaccine?
For the most current information on influenza vaccine availability and other details, see the Student Health Service site.
If my student gets sick, should I bring him or her home?
People with influenza should stay home until they’ve had no fever for 24 hours—most will recover on their own within four to seven days. If you’re thinking about transporting your student to another community, please check with your physician to determine whether it’s appropriate.
What about my student’s classes?
Students with influenza symptoms should stay home from class, work, and other activities and should check with their instructors to find out when they need to provide a doctor's note or other verification. Students will be responsible for the entire semester’s material and for making up work they miss.
What if my student’s roommate is sick?
People exposed to sick roommates, housemates, or family members can go to school or work as usual. If your student’s roommate is sick, your student should monitor his or her own health every day and be careful to exercise common-sense precautions—washing hands frequently, using alcohol-based hand sanitizers, etc.
Students who are pregnant or have chronic health conditions should contact Student Health Service or their doctors if they’re worried that they’ve been exposed to influenza. Health care providers may prescribe antiviral drugs to prevent illness.
If your student lives in the residence halls or shares other close quarters with a sick roommate, he or she should clean their space with an antibacterial cleanser, try to stay at least 6 feet from the roommate, and ask that the roommate wear a facemask while in the room.
Healthy students should see if they can temporarily stay with friends. If they can’t arrange temporary housing on their own, residence hall occupants should ask their hall coordinators—short-term relocation might be available.
What should sick students in the residence halls do?
As in all cases, they should try to isolate themselves until at least 24 hours without a fever. They should tell their resident assistants (RAs) and their roommates or suitemates. They should wear facemasks when using shared spaces like bathrooms—masks are available at residence hall front desks.
Sick students can request isolation meal packs online from University Housing and Dining. They can arrange for friends to pick up one meal pack each day or request that Burge or Hillcrest Market Place staff deliver their food.
Where can I get more information?
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention offers the latest influenza information. Student Health Service provides prevention and health care information especially for UI students.
Ask a Question
Have additional questions about influenza prevention, planning, and policies at the University of Iowa? Please e-mail us at influenza-info@uiowa.edu. We’ll look for answers and respond directly or post information to this site.