Butler County has had seven confirmed cases of H1N1, more commonly known as the Swine Flu.

One Butler County resident had a probable case of this flu, but no deaths have been reported here, according to the state Department of Health.

Nationally, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services reported 40,617 cases with 263 deaths from the Swine Flu across the 50 states and five territories.

Meanwhile, the virus that was confirmed to have started in Mexico was declared a pandemic earlier this year by world health organizations. Its outbreak coincided with the start of the Southern Hemisphere's flu season.

Now officials in the Northern Hemisphere are working to defeat the virus as flu season comes to our side of the world starting in October.

That means a new vaccine.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced a week ago it approved not only the regular flu shot for the 2009-10 flu season, but also an additional H1N1 vaccine.

Dr. John Reefer, Butler Health System vice president of professional affairs, as well as an internist, said the hospital was alerted to the second vaccine that will be presented this year.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services announced the regular flu shot and the H1N1 shot might be given at the same time without worry of interaction with each other.

Reefer said while the CDC has not released its guidelines for the H1N1 vaccines, he expects instead of the very young and the very old being first in line for the shots, the vaccine will be targeted to school-age children.

"That's how it spread earlier this year, through the schools, so it will probably go to those children first," he said.

Symptoms of the swine or H1N1 flu are different from the regular seasonal flu, which usually results in a respiratory illness with fever.

Reefer explained the H1N1 flu's symptoms can include fever, cough, headache, nausea, diarrhea and vomiting.

Normally, vaccine distribution includes doctors' offices, pharmacies and nonprofit organizations that hold flu shot clinics.

Reefer said he is waiting to hear if there will be any changes in that distribution plan. "We are waiting with everyone else to hear how this is going to be handled, and as soon as we know, you'll know," he said.