Cornell researchers have developed a vaccine to immunize mice from the effects of cocaine.

The leaves are falling, the temperature is dropping, and the days are becoming shorter. Flu season has arrived in Ithaca. Prof. Susan Daniel, chemical and biomolecular engineering, researches cell membrane mimics and novel devices for the study of transmembrane species interactions. Such interactions are important for the study of flu viruses, the study of how viruses affect host cells. and subsequently, the study of vaccines.

In a journey starting from an ordinary dairy farm, Prof. David Putnam, biomedical engineering, has moved onto developing biomaterials, vaccines and drug delivery techniques for patients.

With its first shipment of 1,600 H1N1 influenza vaccines received on Friday, Gannett will distribute the vaccines to students with underlying health conditions, those who are pregnant and those who care for infants under six months of age.

With Gannett still seeing eight to 15 new cases of probable H1N1 flu per day, Tompkins County Health Department received its first batch of H1N1 flu vaccine in an attempt to combat the spread of the virus during the coming months.

A line of people spilled out of the Straight Memorial Room onto Ho Plaza, took a bend outside the Cornell Store and stretched all the way to McGraw Tower Friday. The line could be spotted for the entire day, when about 2,000 people received their seasonal flu shot.

Gannett Health Service’s vaccination clinic, the first opportunity for many Cornellians to receive a flu shot this semester, was the largest clinic Gannett had ever held, according to Sharon Dittman, associate director of community relations at Gannett.

However, uncertainly over the arrival of additional vaccine may delay future clinics.

So as to avoid overlap in the distribution of seasonal flu and H1N1 flu vaccinations, Gannett Health Services will begin distributing the seasonal flu vaccine on Friday, about a month earlier than usual compared to past years. Gannett wants to finish administering seasonal flu vaccinations before the H1N1 vaccines arrive so that the distribution system does not become too congested.

“Our plan is to offer vaccination clinics throughout the fall semester to offer the vaccine we have (whether seasonal or H1N1) when we have it,” Sharon Dittman, associate director of community relations at Gannett Health Services, stated in an e-mail. “Though we are starting early with seasonal flu vaccine, we will offer H1N1 vaccine as it starts to come in.”