Cook offers 400 H1N1 vaccines in Palatine Saturday

Cook County will hold walk-in clinics for H1N1 vaccinations in Palatine - but only for 400 people at a time.

County officials announced Tuesday they will hold walk-in clinics at four locations - Palatine, Cicero, Ford Heights and Robbins - this Saturday, and Saturdays on Nov. 21, Dec. 5 and Dec. 12.

At each site, starting at 7 a.m., 400 tickets will be handed out on a first come, first-served basis. Each ticket will specify a time for the holder to get a vaccine between 8 a.m. and 2 p.m. that day.

The county Department of Public Health has received nearly 170,000 vaccines, but spokeswoman Amy Poore said 123,000 - including 32,000 already given out - have been allocated for health-care providers, school vaccination programs and appointments into January. The clinics are also limited by the availability of medical workers.

The vaccines will include the live weakened virus nasal spray and the injected dead virus, depending on the patient's medical history.

The clinics are being held at the following Ambulatory and Community Health Network sites:

•Vista Health Center, 1585 N. Rand Road, Palatine.

•Cicero Health Center, 5912 W. Cermak Road, Cicero.

•Cottage Grove Health Center, 1645 Cottage Grove, Ford Heights.

•Robbins Health Center, 13450 S. Kedzie Ave., Robbins.

For information, call (708) 492-2828, email BeAware@ccdph.net, or see cookcountypublichealth.org.

Officials also hope to add vaccine programs at high schools and day cares, possibly for announcement next week.