The H1N1 pandemic continued to report a high in Minnesota last week, with no new flu outbreaks in schools or long-term care facilities, the Minnesota Department of Health revealed Wednesday.

For the week ending Jan. 20, medical clinics that report flu data to the Health Department additionally revealed few patients with flu-like symptoms.

Cal State San Marcos is offering free shots against the virus to all of the university's students, faculty and staff members, in line with the ongoing efforts to avoid an H1N1 flu outbreak on campus.

Moreover, students are even fully co-operating with the CSUSM's nursing program helped administer an initial round of the shots during three on-campus H1N1 vaccination clinics held in the last two weeks.

Since the malignant virus first emerged in the state last spring, 1,814 Minnesotans have been hospitalized with H1N1 and nearly 55 have died from the virus. Another seven people have died from other or unspecified flu strains as well.

The H1N1 virus can cause pneumonia along with other serious complications in young people, irrespective of age with weakened immune systems, and other vulnerable groups.

"Oftentimes, young people feel invincible and so, doing some of the things they should do to keep healthy, they put those on the back burner", Sidelinger said. "We want to them to get vaccinated so they continue to be healthy for the winter".