State health officials say swine flu cases are increasingly being reported across West Virginia...especially in border counties.

That includes Wood County...where schools this week have reported increased absences from students...due to what, for now, are being called flu-like symptoms.

Still...there's concern across the nation about adverse effects of the H1N1 flu vaccine.

Some people believed dangers about vaccines, be they real or feared, are reason enough to avoid getting flu shots...whether its the regular flu vaccine or for swine flu.

"I try to take my vitamins and try to stay as healthy as I possibly can," says Andrew Husk, "and keep my immunity up. Hopefully, that will work for me."

But others believe the swine flu shot is very important.

"I think, in my opinion, the risks of having it probably outweigh the harm of getting it," says Amy Brown of Martinsburg.

National and local health officials agree. There have been, so far, no side effects reported from the vaccine, which is just beginning to be distributed.

"I would much rather take a shot than be down for a week or more, feeling as sick as you're going to be, getting the flu," says Dick Wittberg, Executive Director of the Mid-Ohio Valley Health Department. "And this H1N1 (virus) is going to make people really sick. With a vaccine that will cut your chances to very small of getting this disease, I would reccommend anyone I knew to get it."

And Brown, who lost a second cousin to swine flu earlier this year, says she not only plans to get the vaccine, her small children will be vaccinated as well.

"He was a very healthy man, and unfortunately passed away from it," Brown says. "It's concreted any plans that they're going to get the shot."

Wood County School Superintendent Bill Niday says absences...which normally are less than 5% rcent of the student population...this week are up to about 7%.

School officials say they are still awaiting confirmation as to whether any of the reported illnesses are a result of the swine flu virus.