TEXAS DEPARTMENT OF Health Services representative Sandi Henley discusses the H1N1 virus at a town hall meeting in Fairfield. When enough H1N1 virus vaccine is available, Texas Department of State Health Services would like to hold a "Vaccination Day," Fairfield area residents were told last week in town hall meetings hosted by the health services agency.

The meetings were held at Fairfield Conference Center and presented by Sandi Henley with Region 7 of TDSHS.

She noted that there is not enough H1NI virus, also known as Swine Flu, vaccine available in Texas, yet, for a mass vaccination.

"We still want to get everyone vaccinated. Our plans are to hold a 'Vaccination Day' here in your community," Mrs. Henley says.

Until supplies of the vaccine are adequate, the health department is prioritizing who gets innoculated.

Priority is given to pregnant women, persons between six months and 24 years of age, people living with children younger than six months of age, health care workers and those with high risk complications.

Next in line are people ages 24-49.

Mrs. Henley reports that of the 88 confirmed H1N1 deaths in Texas, 52 percent have been of persons in the 25-49 age group.

She also notes that persons older than 64 years have some immunity to the virus, most likely from exposure sometime to a similar virus.

"Those people over 65 are not getting the disease like we would expect," she says.

Swine flu is an influenza but is not considered to be more dangerous than seasonal flu, the concern is that a great number of people will become infected because of a lack of a vaccine. The vaccine recently was developed and is being dis- tributed throughout the country.

The health department spokesman reports that H1N1 is no more severe than seasonal flu and that most people can recover without treatment.

Symptoms of the illness are fever over 100 degrees, cough, sore throat, runny or stuff nose, body aches, chills, fatique and headaches.

Signs that medical treatment should be sought are shortness of breath, chest pains, purple or blue lips, vomiting, dehydration, seizures, or a change in coherency.

H1N1 was first detected in April, and in June the World Health Organization categorized it as a pandemic, or a likelihood of mass infections.

"That doesn't mean the illness is really bad, it just means the illness has spread," Mrs. Henley says.

Over the past century, the United States has endured three influenza pandemics, the Spanish Flu in 1918-19 that killed 500,000 people, Asian Flu in 1957-58 that claimed 60,000 lives and Hong Kong Flu in 1968-69 in which 40,000 people died.

"We knew we were overdue for one," she says of the swine flu.

The H1N1 virus spreads through person-to-person contact, most likely coming in contact with someone coughing or sneezing. The virus can be contracted through contact with a contaminated surface, but that is less likely.

Prevention is the best defense against the illness and can be accomplished by frequent hand washing, covering a cough or sneeze, staying at home if you are sick and avoiding those who are sick.

Although there currently is a shortage of H1N1 vaccine, the health department continues to recommend getting a seasonal flu vaccination, then getting the H1N1 vaccination when it is available.

"Seasonal flu is still a very serious illness," Mrs. Henley says.

The H1N1 vaccine is administered by shot and through an inhalent.

Cost of the vaccination is paid for by the federal government.