The onslaught of "swine flu" globally has been so swift that the World Health Organization is now describing it as something of an unstoppable pandemic.

"In past pandemics, influenza viruses have needed more than six months to spread as widely as the new HINI virus has spread in less than six weeks," WHO says in a briefing note released July 16.

Wellington Dufferin Guelph Health Unit had not returned calls with specifics of its "pandemic protocol" but in general terms a spokesperson said the health unit obtains and distributes vaccines. As the effective vaccine would likely be in short supply, one of the unit's roles would be to prioritize recipients.

There is a widespread fear that the "swine flu," which thus far has been relatively mild, will strike with a vengeance in the fall as schools reopen, as did the 1918 variety which killed 50 million people worldwide.

Upper Grand District School Board has been preparing for a possible onslaught.

"We are not panicking, but we are taking this issue seriously. Parents entrust their children to us and we take that trust seriously," said Education Director Martha Rogers.

The board and the health unit are meeting today.

They will discuss strategy with a focus on stronger communication between the two on issues such as the health unit keeping the schools informed on what areas are the most prevalent and when to seriously consider closing schools.

Dr. Rogers says the board is working on a plan called The Sentinel School Project.

It involves the principal sending attendance records to the health unit with the absences put into various categories. The unit then studies the data and determines if there if there are any disturbing trends.

Anne Augustin, Infection Prevention & Control Coordinator at Headwaters Health Care Centre says the hospital implemented an Influenza Pandemic Plan in 2006, which is regularly updated.

"The plan is based on and reflects the global pandemic phases identified by the World Health Organization (WHO), the federal Canadian pandemic plan, the Ontario Health Plan for an Influenza Pandemic (OHPIP) and utilizes the Incident Management System (IMS).

"Prior to alerts (prepandemic), Headwaters has prepared itself by ensuring ample supplies of personal protective equipment (PPE) are available and that all staff are properly educated as to how to properly use the PPE.

"Updates to staff are provided and information is available on the hospital website for the public with a link to Wellington- Dufferin-Guelph Public Health. When the WHO issues an alert, Headwaters receives Important Health Notices from the province, the guidance provided in the IHNs is easily implemented," Ms. Augustin said in an e-mailed response.

There are increasing numbers of deaths globally attributed to the "novel H1N1" virus, mainly of younger persons and persons with prior illnesses.

There have been 3,804 reported cases of the flu in Canada, and about 40,000 in the U.S., but estimates of unreported instances range from tenfold to 100- fold.

Based on those numbers, the pandemic might bear watching but there is, as of yet, no cause for panic.