WATERLOO - With the latest wave of H1N1 waning, county health officials are turning their attention to seasonal flu.

Since H1N1, or swine flu, peaked a month ago nationwide, hospitalizations based on flu-like symptoms have decreased in every age group but those 65 years and older. Combined with a short supply of seasonal flu vaccine, officials are concerned about the health of older Americans when the other variety emerges.

"We still have seasonal flu, which causes 30,000 deaths a year among the elderly," said Tom O'Rourke, director of the Black Hawk County Health Department.

O'Rourke said state and national health officials expect seasonal flu to peak on schedule sometime in February. The county has received 58 percent of its seasonal flu vaccine allotment with future deliveries uncertain.

Dr. Robert Friedman, a physician on the county health board, said he has not received seasonal flu vaccine since September. He said he is seeing the national trend of more hospitalizations from influenza among the elderly.

"We're seeing that in our practice," he said.

Meanwhile, county health officials said they have pushed back plans for mass H1N1 vaccination clinics at least a week because they have received fewer doses than expected.

Bruce Meisinger, the county's disease surveillance manager, said he expects school- and community-based clinics to open the second week of December or later.

He said it's important to vaccinate as many children as possible before the next wave of H1N1 marches through Iowa because they have proven to be most vulnerable to serious complications. Nearly 29 percent of Black Hawk County's 8,000 children from 6 months to 5 years old have been vaccinated.

"It's our experience that a peak level of illness will be experienced again, possibly in February," he said.