MORGANTOWN (AP) - WVU students will likely have to wait until the end of November to get an H1N1 flu vaccination.

At least 674 cases of flu-like illness presumed to be swine flu have been reported on campus to date, Dr. Jan Palmer, director of WVU Student Health, said in a statement provided to The Dominion Post on Thursday. That’s an increase of about 214 cases -- up from 460 -- in the past three weeks.

Free clinics for students will be scheduled once the vaccine is available, but Palmer noted that supplies of the vaccine have been delayed nationwide.

“WVU is still hoping to receive some vaccine by the end of November, and students will be notified as soon as the vaccine has been released,” Palmer said.

The Monongalia County Health Department will receive doses of the vaccine to distribute to WVU for students, but spokeswoman Holly Hildreth was not sure when they would be delivered.

“As soon as they come in, [WVU] will get them,” Hildreth said. “We don’t know when they’ll come in.”

The number of people with flu-like illness has doubled in the past two weeks in Monongalia County. Hildreth said there were 993 cases of flu-like illness reported in Monongalia County last week, and there were 403 cases reported the week before. Updated numbers won’t be available until today.

The health department began giving H1N1 vaccinations Wednesday, but it didn’t receive as many doses of the vaccine as expected. The health department was initially supposed to get 2,490 doses of the H1N1 vaccine in its most recent shipment, but it only received about 1,900.

Young adults up to 24 years old are included in the target population at the greatest risk for H1N1, but Hildreth said the health department didn’t receive enough vaccines to cover everyone.

As a result, the health department had to first offer the vaccine to five groups within the target population identified by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC): Pregnant women; people who live with, or provide care for, infants 6 months old and younger; children 6 months to 4 years old; health care and emergency medical services personnel and children 5 to 18 years old who have medical conditions.

However, Hildreth said the health department should receive weekly shipments, and the vaccine will be available to students in Monongalia County schools next week. Student absences rose as high as 11 percent last week, but about 9.7 percent -- or approximately 1,038 of about 10,700 students countywide -- were absent on Thursday.

About 10.5 percent of the students in the county were absent Tuesday, and 10.1 percent were absent Wednesday.

Distribution of the H1N1 vaccine will be expanded to young adults up to 24 years old -- including WVU students -- and people 25 to 64 years old who have medical complications once additional doses become available. But Hildreth said WVU students should get vaccines through the university, not the health department.

“College students need to get it from the Health Sciences Center,” Hildreth said. “They should be taken care of by Student Health.”

Hildreth said WVU has already received a few doses of the vaccine. At a media briefing held Thursday, Palmer said vaccinations for WVU students, such as medical students, who come in contact with patients, began Wednesday.

Until additional doses of the vaccine arrive, Palmer said students should continue to cover their mouths when they cough, practice good hygiene, and isolate themselves until 24 hours after their fever breaks if they have flu symptoms.

“Isolation means going home if this is convenient, or staying in their local residence, and not attending classes, social functions, going to dining halls, or even going to see the doctor,” Palmer said in the statement provided to The Dominion Post. “Students should call a health care provider, if needed.”