A vaccine for the strain that swept the nation and region in the spring is expected to be available in mid-October.
"The good news is there have been no changes, no mutations, no shift, no drift, no reconfiguration of this flu, so . . . the vaccine is going to be effective," said Joseph DiMino, director of health in Montgomery County.
The health departments from Philadelphia, Montgomery, Delaware, Chester, and Bucks Counties are coordinating efforts to respond to the H1N1 virus, which, while mild, is expected to infect more people than seasonal flu.
Key elements of the response include getting the vaccine to those at highest risk, including children and those with chronic illnesses. But until the vaccine arrives, Philadelphia Health Commissioner Donald Schwarz said, it is important for people to plan what they would do if they or their children contracted the virus and needed to stay home.
"Each person needs to have a plan for preventing the spread of the virus," Schwarz said, while acknowledging the challenge many will have in missing work for extended periods in this economy.
Gettysburg College, in south-central Pennsylvania, reported yesterday that it had confirmed H1N1 flu in two students, with flulike symptoms diagnosed in 40 others since the fall term began Aug. 31.
Yesterday, the officials here also urged the public to remember key recommendations from the spring meant to contain the virus: washing hands frequently, covering coughs, and staying home or socially separate for those who fall ill.
People who normally get the seasonal flu vaccine should get that, too, they said.
So far, the flu season is expected to be busy and mild for most people.
