To date, H1N1 flu hasn't proven more severe than the seasonal flu, but it seems to be more infectious, said Dr. Ronald Chapman, Solano County public health officer. Also, children and young adults are proving more susceptible to the disease than is normal with the seasonal flu.

All of this brought Solano County health officials and officials from an array of local health care providers together Friday for a press conference. The stated goal was for the local public health community to speak in one voice about what could be a particularly nasty flu season.

'We're expecting to see a lot more people sick, a lot more people infected, which could have a huge impact on the health care system,' Chapman said.

So far, 30 Solano County residents have been hospitalized with H1N1 since April and three people have died, Chapman said. The local third death came recently and was a man with other health conditions as well, he said.

The first line of defense is prevention. Chapman urged people to wash their hands often, sneeze or cough into their elbows instead of their hands and stay home from work or school if they have the flu.

'A lot of it comes down to common sense,' he said.

Health officials are also urging residents to get vaccinated for both the seasonal flu and the H1N1 flu. The latter vaccination isn't yet available to the public in Solano County, with a small shipment expected soon and a bigger shipment by mid-October. Chapman said the county should receive enough vaccines to meet the demand, though the timing is still unknown.

Local health care providers such as NorthBay Healthcare, Kaiser Permanente and Sutter Health are keeping their members updated on the H1N1 vaccine through such venues as their Web sites. Solano County Public Health and various local clinics plan to offer free H1N1 vaccination clinics to reach the uninsured, with times and dates yet to be set.

Both flu vaccines come as either a shot or a mist that is inhaled through the nose, said Dr. Michael Stacey, the county's deputy public health officer. People who get the two vaccines during the same visit cannot use the nasal mist twice, he said. They must either get two injections or one injection and one nasal mist, he said.

Both the injections and the nasal mist are effective ways to be vaccinated, Stacey said. Vaccines are the most important way to stop the spread of the virus, he said.

Symptoms for H1N1 flu are similar to those for the seasonal flu, Chapman said. In most cases, people with the flu won't need to be hospitalized, but will have a mild illness that will go away in a few days, he said. He recommended consulting with a doctor if the person with the flu can't keep liquids down or seems confused or has other, more severe symptoms.

Some hospitals in the southeastern U.S. are having to set up tents in parking lots to handle the influx of flu patients, Chapman said. It's unknown how many Solano County residents will end up being hospitalized, he said. But, if need be, hospitals here have temporary buildings they can set up to serve patients, he said.

'Every hospital in the county has that expansion capability,' he said.

Reach Barry Eberling at 425-4646, ext. 232, or beberling@dailyrepublic.net.