Those who need vaccine first, go first

Simple economics tells us when supply is down, the price goes up.

The toughest price to meet for an H1N1 vaccine may be all the patience one can muster.

With the swine flu arriving just ahead of promised vaccines, lines are sure to be long as the first doses are distributed. The fact that the illness has disproportionally affected children and young adults has parents especially anxious. We sympathize. No one wants to see a child suffer or be left unnecessarily at risk.

While the government has purchased 250 million doses, fewer than one-fifth of them will be shipped by the end of this month, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Clinics are scheduled in the collar counties and doctors have long waiting lists. Yet shipments of the mists and shots are only starting to trickle in.

As we've stressed before, an extra measure of self-restraint will be needed this season to ensure inoculations get to those who need it first - those in the age 2 to 24 highest risk group.

Local health experts are right to expect early demand for the vaccine in the suburbs to exceed the initial supply.

In early October, 38 percent of parents nationwide opposed giving the vaccine to their children. Since that survey, however, we have heard about H1N1-related deaths among children, including a Naperville teen. St. Charles East High School closed this week after 40 percent of its students called in. Though they are not confirmed H1N1 cases, many had flu-like symptoms. The case in U.S. Rep. Melissa Bean's family showed no one was immune.

That nationwide survey also indicated parents are nervous about giving children the vaccine. A little research would show flu vaccines have good safety track records, including for children. The CDC assures it has been tested and there's nothing different about the way the vaccine was developed for this flu strain than for any other.

It's a personal decision to be vaccinated, but a public one, too. Protecting yourself protects others.

Those lining up, however, must be honest on forms asking about risk factors. Even bending the truth could mean greater harm for someone else.

We recognize that health workers are taxed - Cook County's Web site is seeking volunteers to help with H1N1 demands. But getting information to the public is critical, and we urge officials to update their online postings daily through the next few weeks.

The good news is we have more information than we did even a couple of months ago. We know the symptoms and treatments and who is at the greatest risk. School nurses are abiding by CDC recommendations to immediately send anyone home with signs of the flu.

We've seen enough of the noxious lack of civility in the public square in recent days. Those eager for the swine flu vaccine can practice what even kindergartners know to do: Line up and politely wait your turn. It will make a challenging situation more bearable for all.