Since April, swine flu or H1N1 has spread deep enough across the state that the Department of Health and Environmental Control has long quit counting individual cases.

Now, the department is concerned if people are more severely stricken with the virus and if the virus changes for the worst.

H1N1 has had a strong presence in the Southern Hemisphere where countries are currently in their cold season.

“Obviously, influenza spreads much more rapidly in winter months,” says Jim Beasley, DHEC spokesman.

But the good news is that the virus has not mutated into a harsher strain.

“This virus seems to be holding fairly steady,” Beasley said. “There’s not a lot of change in the virus fortunately.”

DHEC’s recommendations for handling the virus have therefore also remained the same, and stockpiles of the antiviral medication Tamiflu and Relenza are on hand at the state and federal level.

And more virus-fighting help is on the way.

A vaccine against H1N1 will likely be ready by late October first in small shipments if clinic trials go well, and tests prove the vaccination is safe and effective, says Beasley.

As far as costs, the federal government is paying for the vaccine, but locations may charge different prices for administering the vaccine, which may be one or two shots.

DHEC is considering using schools as an inoculation site, but nothing has been finalized, says Beasley.

“And all vaccinations are always voluntary,” he says.

Federal officials do recommend a preference for who gets first shots:

• pregnant women,

• persons who live with or provide care for infants aged under 6 months (e.g., parents, siblings, and daycare providers),

• health-care and emergency medical services personnel,

• persons aged 6 months-24 years, and

• persons aged 25-64 years who have medical conditions that put them at higher risk for influenza-related complications.