University Health Services released new data Tuesday revealing a decrease in the number of students contacting UHS with influenza-related queries.

“We do believe that the number of cases on campus over the last week is likely lower than the week before; however, this is still a very high number for this time of year so it doesn’t mean the outbreak is over,” said Sarah Van Orman, executive director of UHS.

According to the report, 168 students were evaluated at UHS for influenza-related illness last week, making up 12.6 percent of primary care visits. These numbers are down from the previous week, when 345 students reported flu-like symptoms, accounting for 28 percent of primary care visits.

While Craig Roberts, epidemiologist for UHS, said he cannot point to anything specifically that would have caused the decrease, he said the amount of knowledge now available on the virus could be one factor, as well as increasing immunity.

“A lot of people have learned a lot about influenza in the last couple of weeks,” Roberts said.

Van Orman attributed the decrease to nature running its course and also commended students for their quick response to the outbreak.

“I do believe that students have taken this very seriously … and when people became aware that this was all here, they started to do the things that they should to limit the spread,” she said.

According to Van Orman, similar trends in the number of cases of H1N1 have been reported on other campuses, with most showing a spike over the first two weeks followed by a decline.

As more people contract the virus and recover from it, the number of people in a given population who are susceptible to it decreases, according to Roberts.

“People do develop some reasonable immunity to it and at least in the short-term won’t have to worry about getting it again,” he said.

Despite this immunity, Roberts warned it will take weeks or months to get to that point because of the number of people who are still susceptible.

Van Orman agreed and said despite the number of students who have become ill, community members remain at risk.

“Even though a lot of students have gotten it, most of the population is still very susceptible, so it would be very easy to have [the numbers] go back up again,” she said.

The H1N1 vaccine is still weeks away from becoming available on campus, according to Roberts, who said the vaccine is projected to be here in mid- to late October.

With speculation about the effectiveness of the vaccine and the potential for the virus to manifest as a result, both Van Orman and Roberts still strongly advised receiving the vaccine.

“What it comes down to is your risk of serious complications, or death from the disease is statistically higher than your risk … from the vaccine,” Roberts said.

He added he would be one of the first in line to be vaccinated.

Van Orman also said she sees the vaccine as the best way to contain the illness.

“The only way we can help control this is to get the vaccine out,” she said.