The Kane County Health Department received its first shipment of nasal-spray H1N1 flu vaccine live attenuated influenza vaccine on Oct. 8. The limited shipment of 500 doses is being used to vaccinate health care workers, emergency services personnel and police officers.

"We are extremely pleased to have received our first shipment of H1N1 vaccine as we prepare to open our public clinics later in the month," said Paul Kuehnert, health department executive director.

The health department initially will provide the nasal spray to health care workers and emergency first responders, including its staff and volunteers who will be manning the mass public clinics beginning Monday, Oct. 26. Once more nasal spray vaccine is delivered, it will be made available in the public clinics.

The nasal spray vaccine is not for people younger than 2 or older than 50. More information about the nasal spray vaccine is available at cdc.gov/flu/about/qa/nasalspray.htm.

To learn more about the Health Department's "Stop the Flu: It Starts With You" campaign, visit kanehealth.com/stop_flu.htm.

The Kane County Health Department will open public clinics beginning Monday, Oct. 26, to administer the H1N1 vaccine. In addition, nearly 200 private providers in Kane County - doctor's offices, clinics and pharmacies - also have submitted orders for the H1N1 vaccine, which will make it available to residents at multiple locations throughout the county.

The public clinics to dispense free H1N1 flu vaccines will be held over the course of three successive Mondays from 4 to 9 p.m. The schedule in the Tri-Cities area will be: Oct. 26, East Aurora High School, 500 Tomcat Lane, Aurora; St. Charles North High School, 255 Red Gate Road, St. Charles; Nov. 2, Central High School, 44W625 Plato Road, Burlington; and Illinois Math and Science Academy, 1500 W. Sullivan Road, Aurora; and Nov. 9, Mooseheart, Route 31, between North Aurora and Batavia; and a third site yet to be determined.

The health department also is planning to open two Saturday clinics, on Nov. 21 and Dec. 5, at a location yet to be determined. The department submitted an order for 64,000 doses of the vaccine, however they likely will not receive it all in one shipment, nor is there a guarantee that they will get all that was ordered.

Kane County residents who fall into one or more of the following priority groups will be eligible to receive H1N1 shots at these community clinics. The five target groups for the H1N1 vaccine are: pregnant women, people who live with or provide care for infants younger than 6 months old, for example, siblings, and day care providers; health care and emergency medical services personnel; people ages 6 months to 24; and people age 25 to 64 who have medical conditions that put them at higher risk for influenza-related complications.

Once the demand for these target groups has been met, the health department and local providers will begin vaccinating everyone ages 25 to 64. Current studies indicate the risk for infection among people age 65 or older is less than the risk for younger age groups. Therefore, as vaccine supply and demand among younger age groups is being met, programs and providers should offer vaccination to people age 65 and older.

CDC recommends that children, age 9 and younger, receive two doses of 2009 H1N1 vaccine, which should be separated by one month. Infants younger than 6 months are too young to get the 2009 H1N1 and seasonal flu vaccines. The health department recommends that you contact your physician if you have any questions about whether you or a member of your family should receive the vaccine.