CHARELSTON, W.Va. (AP) — Berkeley County Schools’ director of pupil services sees some potentially frightening parallels between swine flu and the pandemic flu of 1918 that wiped out a third of the world’s population.

The 1918 influenza first appeared in the spring, followed by much more fatal waves in the fall and winter. It was deadly not only to the susceptible very young and old, but also to young adults. And it almost simultaneously infected humans and swine.

Regardless of whether George Michael’s fears bear out, he says he’s not taking any chances with the state’s second-largest school district.

“I just want to make sure we’re prepared,” he said.

With the first day of school just days away, Berkeley County and the other 54 public school systems across West Virginia are gearing up for what could be a bad flu season.

Since the World Health Organization signaled in June that a pandemic was under way, more than 1 million Americans, including 333 in West Virginia, have been infected. Health officials fear the virus could worsen this fall and winter, when people spend more time cooped up together indoors.

The West Virginia Department of Education and the Bureau for Public Health, with guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, have prepared preliminary protocols for schools, said Melanie Purkey, executive director of the West Virginia Department of Education Office of Healthy Schools.

Final guidelines will be provided later this week as districts continue working with local health departments to tailor plans to meet their individual needs and available resources.

“We hope to be out in front of this thing so we’re not responding to outbreaks,” said Jeff Neccuzi, director of West Virginia Department of Health’s Division of Immunization.

All schools are being encouraged to emphasize the importance of washing hands, sanitizing common areas, covering noses and mouths when sneezing and coughing, and making hand sanitizer available to students and staff members alike.

Parents are being encouraged to keep children with fevers of 100.5 or higher at home, and schools are being told to have isolation areas where feverish children can wait for their parents.

In the Eastern Panhandle, Michael said Berkeley County teachers are already know what symptoms to watch for. Nurses have basic supplies of masks and thermometer sheaths, custodians have masks and buckets ready for scrubbing and bus drivers have disinfectant sprays.

Principals may even conduct mass inoculations in the same assembly line fashion used for school photos, if needed.

Health officials expect enough vaccines to become available to supply all schools. Neccuzi said vaccines will be distributed across the state, beginning in mid-October with the highest risk groups and continuing weekly through February.

The federal government is providing vaccines free to everyone, though people with private health insurance may be asked to pay an administration fee of no more than $20, he said.

“The logistics aren’t worked out yet” on who will administer the vaccines, where and to whom, Neccuzi said.

Michael said principals will be making many of those decisions after students return to class.

“It’s their building and the principal knows that building much better than we do,” he said.

Berkeley plans to offer vaccines to all students as well as infants, pregnant women and older people with chronic health problems. School officials may inoculate students in school gymnasiums, but are also considering drive-through inoculations at the county’s three high schools.

In Logan County, which has nearly 7,000 students, Director of Student Services Bea Orr said she is awaiting direction from the schools superintendent before meeting with the county’s six school nurses to finish its preparedness plan.

Although the CDC is discouraging schools from closings, Berkeley County is preparing letters in English and Spanish that would alert parents of all its 18,000 students in case officials decide to close schools.

Michael said educators are prepared to use the Internet, Webinars, text messaging and other technology to allow for at-home learning.

For children who don’t have Internet access at home, Purkey said officials are exploring whether public broadcasting might be used.