Oregon Public Broadcasting

Central Oregon’s elementary and middle school students head back to school on Tuesday.

But Redmond and Bend school leaders were in the classroom Thursday learning about H1N1 flu preparations.

The meeting with Deschutes County health authorities came as federal officials continue to release details about the vaccine for the so-called swine flu.

Scott Johnson is the health director for Deschutes County.

He says rural counties will respond to swine flu about the same way urban centers will – just with a little more outreach.

Scott Johnson: “For people that might know Deschutes County, you can’t expect everybody to come into Bend for service. And particularly as we get later into the fall, and weather comes into play, you have to go to people and do outreach. It may be a little different than thinking about it in an urban setting, like Northeast Portland.”

In central Oregon, elementary schools will administer flu shots through the school nurse.

Middle and high schools will likely contract the vaccinations out to a local clinic.

Some estimate that as many as 40 percent of school kids could contract H1N1 this flu season.