A community meeting to provide information about the flu is expected to be held Oct. 28 or 29 at a location to be determined.

"The thought is we would have a public meeting and invite as many stakeholders in the community as we can," Fire Chief Steve Shaner said.

Those stakeholders would include community faith leaders, childcare providers (in-home as well as church and school providers), large employers and other interested employers, he said.

Shaner provided a list of topics that would be covered in the meeting, including flu facts, healthy habits, vaccine target groups, vaccine distribution, antivirals, when to see a doctor and when to stay home from work.

He said the meeting would also provide details about informational resources, including the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' www.flu.gov Web site.

A three-pronged plan to handle the pandemic flu has been adopted in the county, Shaner said. Emergency management agencies, public health agencies and local municipalities each have defined roles to play.

Franklin County Health Commissioner Susan Tilgner reviewed the county's plans for a vaccination program, which will be implemented beginning within the next few weeks.

Health care providers involved in direct patient care are the first target group for vaccinations, Tilgner said.

The next priorities will be pregnant women and children, who seem particularly susceptible to the H1N1 virus, she said. Adults who are caregivers of children under six months old will also be a target group for vaccination.

Information will be sent to parents of school children informing them of their schools' vaccination date and to encourage them to have their child vaccinated, Tilgner said.

The vaccination clinics will be scheduled to be held between 5 and 8 p.m. at schools so parents can be with their child during the vaccination, she said.

The plan is to first vaccinate all elementary school children, then middle school and high school students during the second round, Tilgner said.

"We would then go back to the elementary schools for kids age 9 and under because they need a second dose," she said.

Three students in Grandview have been diagnosed with the H1N1 flu.

Community vaccination clinics will also be planned to handle other high-risk groups, Tilgner said. Hospitals, doctor's offices and pharmacies will also have vaccine on hand.

The county has received its first two shipments of vaccine, which are arriving ahead of schedule, she said.

At a recent meeting of area mayors and city managers, Franklin County and Columbus Board of Health officials indicated the H1N1 flu remains a serious concern, Mayor Ray DeGraw said.

"They explained that in effect we had the first run of this in June," he said.

The second round of H1N1 flu is expected to occur later this month and into November, DeGraw said.

"They are saying 50 percent of the country could be hit during this time period," he said, although many people may not even realize they have the flu.

The virus will go around the world again and will be expected to make a third visit to the U.S. next June, DeGraw said. The concern then will be whether the virus has changed.