Kane County has received its first shipment of H1N1 vaccine, and will make it available to the public later this month, officials said Friday.

In all, there will be nine clinics opening across the county, starting Oct. 26 in Aurora, Elgin and St. Charles, with others to follow Nov. 2 and 9.

The clinics will be open from 4 to 9 p.m. on three successive Mondays, with Saturday clinics set for Nov. 21 and Dec. 5 at locations that have yet to be determined.

"We know that this vaccine is both safe and effective," Kane County Health Department Executive Director Paul Kuehnert said Friday. "The FDA has licensed it. There have been no safety shortcuts. It is produced exactly the same way the seasonal flu vaccine is produced every year. It simply is a new virus strain."

The county has requested 64,000 doses to offer free to pregnant women, people who care for infants, health care and emergency service providers, people between the ages of six months and 24 years, and adults ages 25 to 64 who have certain medical conditions. Once targeted groups have been vaccinated, anyone between the ages of 25 and 64 will be eligible.

The Centers for Disease Control recommends children 9 and younger receive two doses separated by one month. A nasal spray version of the vaccine is not for pregnant women and people younger than 2 or older than 50.

For more information, visit www.kanehealth.com/stop_flu.htm.