ST. JOSEPH COUNTY — In light of H1N1 fears, the Penn-Harris-Madison school system is taking its pandemic preparedness plan very seriously.

The district is taking a multi-pronged approach to the problem. One thing that is being done all this month at all of the district's elementary buildings is that free FluMist nasal flu vaccine is available to all students.

On Thursday it was Meadows Edge Elementary where the St. Joe County Health Department set up shop. Parents, of course, have to give consent for their kids to get the nasal vaccine. Flu shots were also available for adult school staff.

Now just to be clear, all of this protection applies only to the seasonal flu. These vaccinations are not for the H1N1 virus.

On top of that, school kids are using hand sanitizer at every turn. In fact, the school district has stockpiled supplies that could become scarce in a flu outbreak at a warehouse near Penn High School. Things like masks, medical gloves, and Purell are on hand.

And in a worst case scenario where schools might be shutdown, the school's technology department is trying to put a system in place that would essentially allow teachers to try and conduct some semblance of a class via the internet.

"We could use the internet for continuing education purposes, and use teacher Web sites to provide assignments, and assignments could be forwarded in via email,” said Mike Seger of P-H-M Safety and Student Services

Right now school officials say that within the P-H-M system, the only building with higher than usual absenteeism is Northpoint Elementary.

And they are monitoring absenteeism on a daily basis at all the school sites in light of the flu concerns.

Thursday at Meadow's Edge, around 45 to 50 percent of kids got the FluMist vaccine. Last week at Prairie Vista Elementary they had 75 percent of the kids lining up for it.