Hospitalizations of H1N1 flu patients are up in Placer County as health officials continue a school vaccine program to fight the spread of the disease among the young.

A total of 40 Placer County residents with H1N1 flu have been hospitalized since mid-August. The number has risen each week over the past month, the latest Placer County Department of Health figures show. The median age for those hospitalized is 33.

Hospitalizations continue to be low in relation to a disease that is considered by the Centers for Disease Control to be widespread in California and in all but five of the other 49 states.

Eight H1N1 hospitalizations were recorded last week in Placer County, up from six the week before. Previous weeks had five and four hospitalized H1N1 patients respectively.

The number of deaths from H1N1 flu did not increase. Three people have died in Placer County since the first report of the flu in Placer County last April.

Health officials continued to provide free vaccine at schools last week, where absence levels two to three times the norm for this time of year are being reported.

About 1,100 children in the Eureka Union School District were inoculated at an event last week at Eureka School in Granite Bay.

At Eureka, traffic to enter the clinic was so thick former curriculum chief Dave Dalgardo had to grab an orange vest and start directing traffic, according to a news release.

“It was like a well-oiled machine,” school board member Kristie Greiss said in the release. “The coordinators did an excellent job.”

A total of 8,409 county students had been vaccinated by last Thursday. Another 12,000 students at those schools had not being vaccinated.

Placer County community health clinics director Mark Starr said the focus shifted to vaccinating emergency first responders during the Thanksgiving-week break.

When school returns Monday, clinics will resume at Silverado, Antelope Crossing and Creekview Ranch schools.

Older students at high schools will be targeted the week of Dec. 7. Clinics are to be held at Granite Bay, Oakmont, Roseville, Woodcreek and Antelope high schools.

~ Nathan Donato-Weinstein contributed reporting.