H1N1 shots already tapped out in Barrington

You can stop trying to register for an H1N1 flu shot clinic in Barrington this Saturday, and by all means don't show up at Barrington High School that day if you haven't already registered.

After a flood of demand jammed the registration Web site Wednesday, all 2,500 vaccinations were spoken for during today's predawn hours.

Barrington Unit District 220 spokesman Jeff Arnett said the Web site of the company offering the shots crashed shortly after receiving 8,000 hits within 45 minutes of registration beginning Wednesday.

"There was just an onslaught they couldn't accommodate," Arnett said. "If anything, it speaks to how effective the communication network is within the community."

Arnett heard from some people who were finally able to log onto the Web site at about 3 a.m., but at 8 a.m. the company informed the school district that all the vaccines were long gone.

The possibility of further clinics by other county departments is being considered but is far from confirmed, Arnett said.

One possibility is a clinic that would be specifically aimed at students and their families in the school district.

But the demand demonstrated for Saturday's clinic at the high school has also called into question whether school districts are the right venues to accommodate vaccination clinics, Arnett said.