Health providers wait for swine flu vaccine

SPRINGFIELD -- Many Illinois health providers outside Chicago are still waiting to receive shipments they've ordered of the first swine flu vaccine.

Alton Memorial Hospital in Alton has ordered 1,800 doses of swine flu vaccine and hasn't received any yet, said hospital spokesman Rusty Ingram.

The Illinois Department of Health is processing orders for the vaccine.

"As the orders come in, we pass them to (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention), which then ships the vaccine to providers," said department spokeswoman Melaney Arnold.

A list of providers and clinic information eventually will be available to the general public, Arnold said. That will allow all Illinois residents to easily find a location near them for vaccine, she said.

Health providers throughout the state are ordering vaccine, including hospitals in Kankakee, Pekin and Urbana and health departments in DuPage, Kane and Madison counties, Arnold said.

Some Chicago health providers received small shipments of vaccine on Monday. More vaccine will become available in the coming weeks as it's manufactured and shipped.

The first swine flu vaccine doses available are in a nasal spray version. The spray is only for use in healthy people ages 2 to 49 who are not pregnant.