The number of people queuing for swine flu medication has more than halved - but officials are preparing for a fresh surge.

Hove Town Hall isn't the first place to spring to mind as a makeshift pharmacy but for almost six weeks it has been at the centre of a major operation.

A section of the building has been effectively sealed off from the rest to create an area specifically for those coming in coming in to pick up an antiviral prescription for a swine flu-struck friend or relative.

Since July 4 the small team of workers at the new distribution centre have handed over more than 5,000 doses of the drug, peaking at 338 in one day.

That was just after the government launched its National Swine Flu Pandemic website where people can be assessed online and be given a prescription.

Since then, according to flu director and Brighton and Hove public health consultant Peter Wilkinson, the numbers coming in have been slowing down.

He said: “At first we were dealing with around 250 people a day, then it gradually went down to around 150 to 200 and now it is averaging at around 100 a day.

“Peak times tend to be during the week, especially when people are coming home from work and it is quieter at weekends.

“We expect things to stay quiet now during the holidays but it is likely to pick up later this year.

“We still get people waiting outside the door before we open up.

“I think in some cases people are also realising that the symptoms can be very mild and they are preferring to stay at home and get through it rather than take the Tamiflu prescription.

“There have been concerns with reports about the side effects of the drug but that would be the same with any medication.

“The most common side effect is nausea and vomiting so we suggest that people take the drug with food or fluids.

“If people have been prescribed Tamiflu then we would suggest they continue to take it.”

All visitors arriving at the town hall are asked to clean their hands with the hand gel provided before going into a large room where individual desks and chairs are set out.

Each visitor then speaks to a member of staff, gives details of the person they are picking up the drug for and provides proof of identification for themselves.

Once given the drug they then go out another door and make their way back on to the street.

It can take from as little as five minutes to go through the process although if there are questions to be asked or any confusion, in can sometimes be up to 20 minutes.

Dr Wilkinson said there were also a handful of people turning up each day who had to be turned away because they were showing symptoms of the virus.

He said: “The message seems to be getting through and we are seeing fewer but sometimes they come along because they don't realise or could not think of anywhere else to go.

“They won't be allowed in and we advise them to phone their GP, NHS Direct or the national pandemic service instead.

“We always advise anyone who has any concerns to speak to their GP. It is better to be as safe as possible.”

Things are calmer now but the team are preparing themselves for a rise in numbers again from around the end of September onwards.

Dr Wilkinson said: “It is a matter of waiting and seeing what the virus will do next. At the moment it is generally affecting younger people and children.

“Older people are more vulnerable to the usual seasonal flu we are expecting later this year.

“The swine flu virus is unpredictable. It might mutate and combine with another virus. We just don't know. However we are as prepared as we can possibly be.”

Similar collection centres have been set up in East Sussex while in West Sussex selected pharmacists are on hand to provide the drug.

*The National Pandemic Flu Service is on 0800 1513100 or for more information go to www.direct.gov.uk/pandemicflu.