Incidents of flu symptoms continued to fluctuate this week in Jackson County schools, with flu-like illnesses at Phoenix High School canceling a football match tonight between the Jackson County school and Sutherlin High School.

With more than 12 percent of the student body reporting flu symptoms Wednesday, Phoenix High had the highest rate of flu this week in Jackson County. Prospect topped the list last week when more than a third of students were ill, prompting the school to close all this week.

The Southern Oregon Education Service District collects a count of flu incidents each week from public schools as a part of a regional, statewide and national effort to monitor the new influenza strain, the H1N1.

On Thursday, five to six varsity football players were out sick at Phoenix, the same number were still recovering from a bout of illness, and another five to six were having the first signs of flu symptoms, said Steve Goodkin, Phoenix High athletic director. There are only 26 players on the varsity team.

"It's not a cut and dry number," Goodkin said. "It ripples through."

Flu symptoms include fever, headache, fatigue, cough, sore throat, congested or runny nose, body aches and diarrhea or vomiting, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The first round of the new H1N1 vaccine is due in Oregon next week.

The football match was scheduled to be Sutherlin's homecoming event. The cancellation prompted the homecoming to be postponed for a week.

Phoenix High staff members have been encouraging students to remain at home when they're sick.

"We have had about 15 students a day in the office," Goodkin said. "If they have a fever, they are sent home."