The first doses of H1N1 flu vaccine for the general public arrived in Minnesota this week, but as high-priority children got their shots Thursday, officials warned that healthy people probably won't get theirs until after Thanksgiving.
The vaccine, which is grown in chicken eggs, is coming from manufacturers more slowly than anticipated, said Kris Ehresmann, director of immunization for the Minnesota Department of Health.
"It's not growing up as fast as they had hoped," she said.
So far nearly 50,000 doses have been distributed in Minnesota, most of them in the nasal spray form, which was administered primarily to health care workers. This week and next, an additional 40,000 to 50,000 doses of the injectable vaccine will be distributed randomly to about 40 pediatric and family practice clinics around the state because they serve high-priority groups such as medically fragile children and pregnant women.
Children's Hospitals and Clinics of Minnesota on Thursday got its first doses of injectable vaccine for its sickest patients. Officials for Children's said they plan to offer it to patients in the hospital and to those who come in for appointments.
Because of limited supplies, the vaccine will be provided through hospitals and clinics until there is enough for broader distribution through public-health organizations and schools.
JOSEPHINE MARCOTTY
