WORCESTER, Mass. -- Hundreds of Massachusetts healthcare workers from across the state are gathering for a summit on the H1N1 virus in Worcester Wednesday.

One of the key issues they're facing: how to protect children from the dangerous influenza virus.

Information is the goal and medical experts from around the state are expected to brief hundreds of participants from Bay State schools and hospitals on the latest influenza news.

Their focus: how to prevent an outbreak and how to deal with one once it happens.

School health officials we spoke to say they are really interested in hearing how to implement a mass vaccination plan in the state's schools.

"We're coming together in one big arena to hear all at the same time the most recent updates about the H1N1 flu in Massachusetts," said Mimi Stamer, the head of the Massachusetts School Nurse Organization.

Stamer said health professionals are really just taking things one day at a time right now, and looking for answers on what they need to do to be prepared.

"How we can implement a mass vaccination initiative, especially for the school age population," Stamer said.

Right now, Needham Public Schools, where Stamer works, are not offering the seasonal flu shot but it does plan to offer the H1N1 flu vaccine to students and teachers when it becomes available next month.

"We're, you know, concerned about the early fall, the October, November time periods, which are typically not yet when the seasonal flu hits and we're not sure yet how much of an outbreak of illness we're going to have," Stamer said.

She said only a handful of the 5,000 students in the Needham district have contracted the H1N1 flu, but she said this may just be the calm before the storm and said nurses have begun tracking potential cases.

Some of the items on the state's flu summit agenda include a discussion of the state's vaccination plans and the safety of the H1N1 shot as well as who will get that vaccine first and why. Also, how schools should be dealing with both outbreaks and how the flu shots will be distributed.

As for parents, experts continue to say that the best advice is a shot of common sense: get your flu shots and make sure your kids are washing their hands well and often.