By Richard Kerns
rkerns@newstribune.info
Tribune Staff Writer

KEYSER – With a heavy turnout at Thursday night's swine flu clinic serving most first-responders, health care workers and pregnant women who want the vaccine, vaccinations will be made available two days next week to young children, young people with chronic illness and caregivers of infants.
The Mineral County Health Department will be providing the H1N1 influenza vaccine clinics on Tuesday and Wednesday from 4:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at the health department office on Harley Staggers Road, just south of Keyser Primary Middle School.
Health Department officials expect to conduct clinics in county schools by early Novermber.
A.J. Root, administrator of the Mineral County Health Department, said the agency has received more vaccine and is now able to provide shots or  asal sprays to other at-risk populations. The first priority for the limited vaccine supply were the front-line health care workers who are most likely to be exposed to the virus, and pregnant women. Thursday night's clinic to serve those county residents – after a handful of earlier clinics -- drew about 200 people.
“It was a pretty decent turnout,” Root said. “There was a mad rush in the beginning, but even at its busiest, we were getting people in and out in a half hour.”
Because of limited supply, vaccines are being provided on a priority basis to populations deemed most at risk of getting swine flu. As more residents are eligible to receive the vaccine, the clinics will be open to all previous groups as well, so that health care workers and pregnant women who have not yet received the shot can still attend clinics next week. That procedure will hold true as additional groups are added.
“We're not closing it off, we're just expanding it,” Root said.
The guidelines for next week's clinics allow the vaccine to be provided to three groups:
• All children six months to 4 years old.
• Children and young adults ages 5 to 24 with chronic medical conditions.
• Parents and caregivers of infants under 6 months old, and day care providers.
In addition to the special clinics, the vaccine will be available during regular immunization clinics held every Tuesday from 1-3 p.m. at the health department.
The vaccinations are being provided at no cost. The vaccine is administered either as a shot or a nasal mist, depending on the patient's health status. Those with asthma, for instance, cannot receive the mist.
Vaccines are being provided across the nation through county health departments. Next week's clinics are for residents of Mineral County.
Root said interest in the vaccines is growing as the swine flu spreads. Mineral County has had two confirmed cases and several suspected cases of swine flu. Adjoining counties are reporting similar numbers. “We've been shielded a little more than other areas,” he said.
The next group to receive the vaccine will be school-aged children, with clinics expected to be held in county schools within the next two weeks. The exact timing depends on vaccine supplies, and turnout at the upcoming clinics.
“It just depends on how many people come in,” Root said.
Root encouraged residents to visit the Mineral County Health Department Web site at  www.mineralcountyhealthdepartment.comor the Centers for Disease Control Web site at  www.cdc.gov to get the latest information on the swine flu outbreak and to learn more about the vaccine. The health department administrator said many people are misinformed about the virus and the vaccine.
“There's a lot of misconceptions out there,” he said. “The vaccine is safe. There's not a problem with it.”
For more information contact the Mineral County Health Department at 304-788-1321.