The B.C. government says school closures are not part of its plan to deal with outbreaks of the swine flu when classes resume in September.

The province is instead preparing for a possible resurgence of the H1N1 flu virus with a pandemic plan that includes new information and materials for parents, students and schools, according to provincial health officer Dr. Perry Kendall.

"We don't expect that individual school closures, community-wide closures or province-wide closures will be useful in controlling the spread and impact of the H1N1 flu virus," said Kendall in a statement released Monday morning.

"Closures early last spring were initiated out of an abundance of caution because we had very little information on the novel flu virus at that time. It has since become apparent that the disease caused by this virus is generally mild and does not warrant such severe measures."

Health officials say normal flu prevention measures such as frequent handwashing are still the best way to prevent the spread of the virus until a vaccine becomes available sometime in November.

Those in high-risk categories — such as pregnant women, young children and people with underlying health conditions such as asthma, diabetes and morbid obesity — should visit a doctor prior to the fall to determine whether they should be prescribed an antiviral drug in advance, for use in the event they show H1N1 flu symptoms, said officials.

So far, four people have died from the swine flu in B.C. since March, but all the victims had underlying health issues, said officials.