IU suspends Mexico study abroad due to swine flu

IU is suspending all summer study abroad programs in Mexico due to increased swine flu health risks.

The University’s decision will impact the summer plans of about 50 to 60 students at IU Bloomington, IU-Purdue University Indianapolis and IU South Bend, according to an IU press release.

The decision was based on advice from the Emergency Preparedness Committee and on recent health warnings from the U.S. Department of State and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, said Patrick O’Meara, IU’s Vice President for International Affairs.

“People understand this is a worldwide crisis,” O’Meara said.

O’Meara said IU officials will monitor the situation and consider reopening study abroad programs in Mexico after the U.S. State Department’s advisories are lifted.

Meanwhile, O’Meara said the Office of Overseas Study will help students cancel their travel plans or suggest alternatives.

The University is also urging IU faculty and staff to postpone any nonessential trips to Mexico until the threat subsides.

IU is not alone in suspending summer travel plans to protect its students, O’Meara said. National corporations and businesses are also responding to the U.S. Department of State’s advisory, and many schools in Mexico closed because of the outbreak, he said.

Health officials suspect swine flu is the cause of more than 150 deaths and about 2,500 illnesses in Mexico, according to Associated Press reports.

“I have to be someone who takes into account the well-being of students,” O’Meara said.

Sophomore Jacqui Wagner is one of the students affected by the summer program suspension. Wagner planned to take an internship in Mexico during the
summer, but is now waiting to hear if she will be allowed to travel out of the country.

“I’m definitely keeping up to date with it,” Wagner said. “I’m checking my e-mail and watching the news.”

She said since receiving the internship, she stopped making alternative plans, so she hopes the swine flu outbreak subsides soon.

IU spokesman Larry MacIntyre stressed that, though students might be disappointed, the University made its decision taking into account the safety and health of its students.

“Safety considerations outweigh the desire of the students,” MacIntyre said.