STUDENT HEALTH SERVICES
1600 Holloway Avenue
San Francisco, CA 94132-4200
Tel: 415/338-1759
Fax: 415/338-6834
Date: February 20, 2015
To:
Employers and Faculty
From: Alastair K. Smith, MD, FRCS, FAAFP
Medical Director, SF State Student Health Services
RE:
Student Health Services Will Not Issue Sick Notes to Students for Influenza-Like Illness
In response to the 2014-2015 Seasonal Influenza (Flu) outbreak at SF State, Student Health
Services (SHS) is following the CDC Guidance for Responses to Influenza for Institutions of
Higher Education.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that Universities and employers do
NOT require a doctor’s note to confirm illness or recovery from Flu or Influenza-Like Illnesses
(ILI). In accordance with these recommendations, SF State SHS will not issue sick notes to
students with or who recover from the Flu or ILI.
These guidelines decrease the spread of the Flu and ILI to SF State students seeking treatment at
SHS for other injuries or illnesses.
The CDC and SF State SHS recommends that students, faculty and staff with the Flu or ILI stay
away from classes, labs, library, work, etc., and limit their interactions with other people (“selfisolation”), until at least 24 hours after they no longer have a fever, or signs of a fever
without the use of fever-reducing medicines, e.g. Tylenol, Ibuprofen.
In addition, the CDC and SF State SHS recommends that students, faculty and staff whose
activities normally require them to work with patients exclude themselves from any activity with
a patient and keep out patient care areas, such as hospitals or clinics, for 7 days after Flu or ILI
started or until symptoms have resolved, whichever is longer.
In most cases, faculty should expect sick students to be out for about 3 to 5, even if antiviral
medications are used.
Students not in a group at high risk for complications of the Flu or ILI and who do not have
symptoms or signs which may indicate a more severe disease do not need to visit the SF State
SHS for treatment or evaluation and should “self-isolate” themselves in their home or dorm
room.
More information: Flu Facts and Cold and Flu Self-Care