"We want every parent to have at a minimum a back-up childcare plan, to know if their child gets sick, who's going to be home and take care of that child? What's the alternate caregiver strategy?" Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius told ABC television on Sunday.

The A(H1N1) flu virus is a particular concern for schools because it seems to have disproportionately affected youth, with US summer camps reporting outbreaks across the United States.

"This virus spreads quickly child to child. Schools are taking preparation to get ready with hand sanitizers and frequent hand-washing," Sebelius said.

"Hopefully, we will engage schools as good vaccination partners. We anticipate having school-based vaccination clinics as soon as they're available and getting kids the protection that they need."

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta reported 477 swine flu deaths across the United States as of late last week.

The World Health Organization said that as of August 6, there are 1,462 reported deaths from the virus, but noted that this figure likely underreports the true number of fatalities.

US news reports this month said the US government was planning for a worst-case scenario in which up to 40 percent of the American workforce could be affected by swine flu -- either directly contracting the virus or having to stay home to look after an affected relative.

But Sebelius stressed on CNN Sunday that those were only the gloomiest prognostications.

"We're playing out a whole variety of scenarios. We're preparing for the worst and hoping for the best," she told CNN, adding that preparations were on course for the development of a vaccine by October -- although she said it would take weeks to fully inoculate prospective patients.

"We're still optimistic that we'll have a vaccine available about the 15th of October, but the regimen will take about five weeks," Sebelius told CNN.

She said that there will be a three week delay after a first shot is administered before a second shot can be given, then another two weeks until full immunity kicks in.

"So we really need to work between now and Thanksgiving (late November) with lots of social mitigation -- keeping kids home from school if they're sick," she said.

earlier related report
China issues strict swine flu rules to schools: state media
China has issued strict rules to schools to curb the spread of swine flu, urging them to downsize classes and in some cases delay the start of the new academic year, state media said Sunday.

The ministries of education and health issued a notice urging all pupils who had come into close contact with people infected with A(H1N1) flu to stay at home for at least seven days, the official Xinhua news agency reported.

Just over two weeks ahead of the start of the new school year, which usually falls on September 1, education authorities in areas under serious threat of the disease were also given the go-ahead to postpone the start of the new term.

Pupils who displayed flu symptoms seven days ahead of the new term would only allowed to go back to school after making a full recovery, Xinhua said.

The ministries also asked schools to improve disease prevention and control measures, requiring them to carry out daily health checks on pupils.

Schools were also urged to avoid big gatherings indoors, and to reduce class sizes to prevent the spread of the virus, the report said.

According to the most recent health ministry figures, China has recorded a total of 2,537 cases of A(H1N1) flu, with none of them so far proving fatal.

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