Jasper is prepared to deal with an H1N1 pandemic, according to emergency officials.

Fire Chief Greg Van Tighem told councillors the town has ramped up its emergency planning for the flu pandemic, during the Oct. 20 council meeting.

“It’s different than seasonal flu, as it affects healthy people. It doesn’t seem to have boundaries,” Van Tighem said.

H1N1 vaccines became available in Jasper on Monday, and the town has an influenza plan in order to deal with the swine flu. It began developing the plan last year during the avian flu outbreak, and identifies triggers to implement different aspects of the plan.

“We’re looking at the potential of lots of people being sick... when you look at multiple people being sick, it affects families and people not coming to work,” Van Tighem said.

The municipal plan looks at the potential for 30 to 50 per cent absenteeism, which puts a strain on support services. Van Tighem said the town must prepare for that level of absenteeism and identify essential services. Medical services must also prepare for absenteeism, as nurses and doctors could also become sick, reducing capacity to serve the public.

There will be plenty of the vaccine in Jasper, Van Tighem said, as Alberta Health Services received approval to distribute the shots last week.

He said the flu is in its second wave, which will last another five weeks.

It’s important for citizens to wash their hands to prevent the spread of the flu, as the virus enters the body through the mouth, nose and eyes.

“In one minute, the average person touches his or her face 15 times. And the highest level of contamination is on the hands. Wash your hands and keep common surfaces clean,” Van Tighem said.

He also recommends people to cough into their arms, not their hands, and praised the efforts by local schools that have installed hand washing stations at their entrances.

Staying home is also key, he said.

“If you’re sick, stay at home. Don’t bring it into public,” Van Tighem said. “Treat it like the normal flu, but if you have respiratory problems, go to the doctor.”

H1N1 is not an illness that requires frequent testing, so not everyone who is infected is counted. According to Dr. Gerry Predy of Alberta Health Services, the only strain of flu currently circulating Alberta is H1N1.

Van Tighem said he hopes the H1N1 outbreak doesn’t reach a crisis level in Jasper, but the town is prepared for a worst case scenario.

“We need to avoid complacency. We’re looking at a worst case scenario. We need ongoing vigilance,” Van Tighem said.

As of Oct. 27, there are 197 confirmed cases of H1N1 in Alberta, including 12 deaths.

For more information about the flu, visit www.health.alberta.ca/health-info/influenza-H1N1.html.