Children Begin Receiving Swine Flu Vaccine

ABC News ^ | Oct. 6, 2009 | Joseph Brownstein

[nickcarraway]

Hospitals Begin Giving Kids FluMist Nasal Spray For H1N1

The first doses of H1N1 flu vaccine were given to children today, a day after health care workers began getting doses in what is likely to be the largest flu vaccination campaign in U.S. history.

Dr. Richard Besser explains which states have doses of the H1N1 vaccine. These early doses of swine flu vaccine -- all so far given as the nasal spray FluMist -- are being administered at hospitals in Chicago, Georgia and Nebraska, among other places.

Doctors, nurses and other health professionals were targeted first so they could safely care for others. But many parents are anxious to get their children protected from the virus.

"There's not enough vaccine for everybody," said ABC News Senior Health and Medical Editor Dr. Richard Besser on "Good Morning America" today. "But some people in these states are getting vaccinated. We're seeing there are some states that can expect to get it soon. Over the next few weeks, the vaccine will flow about 20 million doses every week."

With the vaccine being deployed and available to some children, phones have begun ringing in doctor's offices across the country.

"As many people who can grab calls have been," said Kathy Paterno, a registered nurse with Westchester Pediatrics near New York City.

Some of those callers will have to wait.

"It will be many, many weeks before all of the demand for vaccine catches up with the supply," Besser said to Robin Roberts. "The supply will not be there for quite a while."

On Monday, hospitals began receiving the first shipments of FluMist, with some doses being administered in tents originally put up to screen children with potential swine flu.

[the invisib1e hand]

(lots of people don’t get it)

the curse of being an original.