Howard County students head back to school Monday, Aug. 31, but school officials also are bracing for another visitor this fall: swine flu.

Four months after an outbreak of the H1N1 virus caused some neighboring jurisdictions to close entire schools, school and health officials are taking precautions to control the disease, if and when it shows up again this fall.

"H1N1 will almost certainly come back," said Dr. Peter Beilenson, Howard County's health officer. "But, we have to be careful not to overreact to any infections."

Much of the county's focus, so far, has centered on preventive measures, in the hopes of stopping any outbreaks before they start.

Beilenson, who is working closely with the school system to develop plans for H1N1, said school officials are planning to reinforce and remind students and staff of standard hygiene such as washing your hands, covering your mouth when coughing and staying at home if you or a family member come down with flu-like symptoms.

"Prevention is the key," he said. "If you follow those basic practices, you're much less likely to see the disease spread."

Beilenson said he and his daughter both contracted H1N1 over the summer, but made a quick recovery. He said that, so far this year, the virus has remained a "fairly mild version of the flu."

Despite the deaths associated with swine flu this spring and summer, Beilenson said, it has remained less dangerous than the annual seasonal flu, which affects between 30 million and 40 million Americans every year.

Beilenson said county officials do not expect swine flu to be a major danger and are instead focusing on the seasonal flu.

"We're definitely looking to get kids immunized to the seasonal flu this year," he said.

Still, Beilenson said, county health officials are not ignoring H1N1.

"It's a difficult virus to predict," he said. "It did continue to pop up this summer here, when the flu usually dies down, but it's not growing at all."

Because of that uncertainty, Donna Heller, coordinator of Health Services for the county's public schools, said the school system will keep a watchful eye on student absences this fall, so officials know where to look if the virus does become more serious.

"We'll be compiling the data of any absences because of flu-like symptoms," she said. "Once we have that, we'll follow up with the schools and the schools will be following up with the parents."

Heller said students who come down with flu-like symptoms at school will be isolated from other students until a parent can pick up the child.

Uncertainty over the severity of H1N1 is also leading the county to move up its seasonal flu drive, Beilenson said.

Last year, the county hosted a "drive-through" flu immunization clinic in late October. This year, that clinic will be held on Oct. 4. The county is also offering seasonal flu immunizations to any student who wants one during the week of Sept. 21.

Both drives are being held early in the flu season to avoid any potential confusion arising from a potential swine flu outbreak later, since the vaccination for seasonal flu is different from the still-pending swine flu vaccine.

Once it does come out, Beilenson said, the swine flu vaccine will be released in phases, with medical technicians, daycare workers and anyone under the age of 24 getting priority in the first phase. The shots will not be available in schools initially and interested parents should contact their child's doctor.

Neither the H1N1 vaccine, nor the seasonal flu shot will be required, but Beilensen said both will be strongly encouraged.

Neighboring counties are also keeping a watchful eye on the likely return of swine flu.

Prince George's County, which was forced to close several schools in the spring because of students and staff that had likely contracted the disease, is also focusing on prevention, said county schools spokeswoman Lynn McCawley.

That county is also focusing primarily on hand-washing and general hygiene. Though the date has not been set, the county is also planning to offer vaccinations in school sometime this fall once the swine flu vaccine becomes available.

Anne Arundel County has not yet determined how it will distribute its allotment of the swine flu vaccine, but a press release from the county said it is also focusing on prevention.

All three counties, however, said that no schools will be closed if a student contracts the disease, barring extreme circumstances.

Beilenson said a "significant" portion of the student body would have to contract the disease in order for the county to consider closing the school.

"The important thing is for us not to overreact," he said.

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