BAY MINETTE — Flu season is here and with it the worry regarding the H1N1 flu, commonly called swine flu.

According to the Baldwin County Health Department, cases of swine flu have become so regular, officials have stopped tracking it on a case by case basis.

"We were doing that in the beginning, but we're not doing it anymore because it has become so rampant," Kim Taylor, public information officer for the county health department, said.

Terry Wilhite, communications director for Baldwin County Public Schools, said the new illness has hit the schools with a powerful punch as well.

"We've had at least one case of the swine flu in every one of our schools," he said. "We had several hundred cases of swine flu in the early days of the illness. Most of the cases have been mild and short-lived."

Martha Rabon, principal of Pine Grove School said the same.

"It hasn't been as bad here as other places, but we have had some out," she said.

Taylor said the illness currently is lasting about three to five days.

Wilhite said parents who have taken their children to the doctor have reported the medication Tamiflu has been successful against the illness. However, the Center for Disease Control stated in an informational pamphlet medications work best if taken in the first days of getting sick.

One reason for the massive spread of the illness is its contagious period.

"One problem is a person is contagious one day before they get sick, that's causing some of the increase because people are contagious before they know they're sick," Taylor said.

Baldwin County has not been affected as bad as other counties, with no fatalities reported from the H1N1 strain.

"There have been some (deaths) in Alabama," Taylor said, noting that seven deaths have occurred statewide. "There have been deaths reported in Bullock, Macon, Jefferson, Russell, Pike, Montgomery and Jackson counties," she said.

"We're hoping the mortality rate will remain low," she said. She said some of that depends on whether the strain mutates.

"With the strain we're seeing now it's mild and short lived. If the strain continues it will probably not worsen. We're tracking it now through testing to see if there are any changes. If there are, it could worsen or it could weaken," she said.

While vaccinations for the regular strain of flu are already available in many places, the vaccination for swine flu is still in the approval process.

"We're waiting word from the state health department on the swine flu vaccination. It is anticipated the vaccines will be ready sometime in October," Wilhite said.

Taylor said the health department is planning flu shot clinics for the regular flu in September and October, possibly into November, and verified what Wilhite said regarding the swine flu vaccine.

"The H1N1 vaccine may be in by late October," she said. She said the regular flu vaccine is one shot, while the swine flu vaccine will be two shots. "So some people will be getting three shots."

Taylor said several million doses of the swine flu vaccine will be available statewide, but said it will be available to priority patients first.

"That's pregnant women, small children and those with chronic illness. Then it will be available to the general public," she said. Though a set cost has not yet been set, Taylor said the price has been capped at $24 for a vaccination.

"(The vaccine) will also be available to pharmacies and private doctors' offices," she said.

Along with getting vaccinated there are steps residents can take to prevent getting sick.

"First and foremost, if you're sick, stay home. Don't go to work, don't go to school, don't go out in the community," Taylor said. "If you're home with a sick child or other, minimize the number of caretakers. That will limit the number of people exposed to the virus."

"Keep everything clean, viruses can live on surfaces," she said.

Wilhite said the schools are taking precautions as well.

"Every school system is a state system, so they must yield to the Alabama State Department of Education mandates," he said. "The state department has clearly spelled out what schools need to do and we're following it to the letter."

He said a large part of the procedure is informational, including teaching students good hand washing techniques and good coughing and sneezing etiquette.

"There is also a protocol the nurses follow when a student shows up in their office with symptoms. Immediately the child is held in the sick room until the parents gets there and the child is given a mask to wear," he said.

Baldwin County Schools Assistant Superintendent JaNay Dawson told Board members the cases of flu are expected to increase during the next few months.

"The state and the (Centers for Disease Control) in Atlanta have said so, primarily because you have a change in weather and because all the children come back to school and you have a close environment," she said. "We are working with our janitorial staff. We are cleaning desks, cleaning rooms, cleaning bathrooms and taking care of those things with chemicals and will address that on a daily basis."

Additionally, Wilhite said the system uses rapid notification to get information to parents keeping them up to date on what to do to help their child avoid or get over the flu.

"I've been extremely pleased with the responsiveness of parents. They haven't panicked," he said.

Symptoms include fever (usually high), dry cough, sore throat, runny or stuffy nose, muscle aches, headache, chills and extreme tiredness. Some people may also have vomiting and diarrhea.