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Six health experts gathered at Shady Grove Adventist Hospital in Rockville Thursday to urge residents to not only get their seasonal influenza vaccinations, but to also get a shot to protect against the swine flu when the vaccine becomes widely available within about a month.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Tuesday approved four vaccines against the H1N1 flu virus, more commonly known as swine flu, said Dr. Philip Krause, associate director for Medical Policy and Vaccine Safety in FDA's Office of Vaccines. The discussion was part of Shady Grove and Washington Adventist hospitals' "Help Stop the Flu" campaign kickoff.

The vaccines will be distributed nationally within the next four weeks after it is mass produced, according to the FDA's Web site.

Cindy Edwards, administrator for the Disease Control and Surveillance Program at Montgomery County's Department of Health and Human Services, said she does not yet know how much of the swine flu vaccine the county will initially receive.

"We anticipate that we will eventually have enough vaccine to vaccinate everyone who wants to get it," she said.

Krause said people 10 years old and older can receive a single dose of the vaccine, while it is recommended that children six months to 9 years old receive two doses. It will be made available first to people with a higher chance of catching the virus, such as pregnant women, health care and emergency medical workers, and people who live with or care for children younger than six months of age.

As with any vaccine, he said, there is still a chance of catching swine flu, but its symptoms would likely be "much less severe."

The swine flu was first detected in the U.S. last spring and quickly became a pandemic. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that more than one million Americans became sick with swine flu between April and June.

The virus also prompted schools across the country to close after cases began to crop up. In May, a student at Rockville High School was diagnosed with swine flu, prompting county health officials to recommend closing the building. The school shut its doors for three days.

Even though residents may be more concerned about swine flu than the seasonal flu, the panelists said it is imperative that people receive both vaccinations.

"The seasonal flu vaccination is just as important and we need to practice the same practices that we do every year," said Aisha Bivens, associate vice president of quality and patient safety at Washington Adventist Hospital in Takoma Park, adding residents should get their seasonal flu vaccinations as soon as possible.

Dr. Gaurov Dayal, a pediatrician and Adventist HealthCare's vice president and chief medical officer, said an estimated 25 million cases of the flu are reported in the U.S. each year, leading to approximately 200,000 hospitalizations and 36,000 deaths.

The symptoms of the seasonal flu and swine flu do not differ much and include fever, cough, sore throat, runny or stuffy nose, body aches, headaches, chills and fatigue, said Dr. Drew White, medical director of Washington Adventist Hospital's emergency department. People infected with swine flu have also reported vomiting and diarrhea, he added.

To fight both infections, people who are ill should stay hydrated, avoid contact with others and rest, White said. It is being recommended that people with swine flu not return to work or school until 24 hours after their fever has subsided.

Edwards said that along with providing seasonal flu shots at clinics and other locations, the county is also offering vaccinations at all elementary schools for the first time. Vaccinations, which will be given via a nasal spray, are scheduled to begin Wednesday and continue over the next three weeks.

When swine flu vaccines are released, the county also plans to make it available in schools, beginning with elementary students. Already, 244 students have been asked to stay home from school after coming down with swine flu-like symptoms, Edwards said Thursday.

For more information about swine flu and the seasonal flu and for a list of seasonal flu shot clinics, visit www.helpstoptheflu.com.