Alachua County's first batch of H1N1 vaccines is expected to arrive early next week.
The Alachua County Health Department put in an order for about 1,500 H1N1 vaccines this week, and they are expected to arrive Monday or Tuesday.
More shipments are expected to arrive weekly until January, and people can receive them at ACHD, 224 SE 24th St., for free.
"Because we're not getting them all at once, we're going to have to prioritize who is getting the vaccine first," said Paul Myers, assistant director of ACHD.
Children will receive the first vaccines because they are one of the most vulnerable groups to the virus, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Myers said.
There are two types of swine flu vaccines. There's a nasal spray, which contains the alive, attenuated influenza virus, and there's a shot, which contains the inactive virus, Myers said. The upcoming shipment will only include the nasal spray.
Because the nasal spray contains the live influenza virus, it's not suitable for people who have underlying health conditions such as asthma or diabetes, he said. They will have to wait a couple of weeks before the flu shot starts getting included in the shipments.
The Health Department hopes to give doses of the vaccine to the UF Student Health Care Center within the next month or so, Myers said.
"It all depends on how much we receive up front, what type of vaccine we're getting and what kind of penetration into the most vulnerable populations we get," Myers said. "Then we'll start getting into the college and the students."
Dr. Phillip Barkley, director of the Student Health Care Center, said the clinic is following the ACHD guide on who receives the vaccinations first. He is waiting for word on when UF students and staff will become the next priority.
According to a recent AP poll, only 45 percent of people ages 18 to 29 will be lining up for the vaccine, something Barkley expected.
"We've known for years that people who are reccommended to be vaccinated sometimes choose not to be," Barkley said.
Over the years, only about 13 percent of pregnant women, 40 to 45 percent of healthcare workers and two-thirds of those over the age of 65 have received the seasonal flu vaccine, even though it's recommended these groups be vaccinated by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Advisory Council on Immunization Practices, Barkley said.
For those who choose not to be vaccinated, Myers stands behind the public health messages the ACHD has been pushing: If you're ill stay home, practice good cough and sneezing etiquette and continue to wash your hands.
"But your primary defense against getting influenza is to get vaccinated," Myers said.
