GRAHAM, N.C. -
Families in Alamance County waited in line for H1N1 vaccinations with the same kind of fervor generally reserved for concert tickets.
Several families arrived before 10 a.m., more than three hours before the clinic doors were scheduled to open, for a shot at getting one of the 400 nasal spray doses of the H1N1 vaccine.
"There were a handful already camped out -- lawn chairs and everything -- at the door waiting for us to open up shop at one o'clock," said Eric Nickens, of the Alamance County Department of Public Health.
By 1 p.m., the line circled around the front of the building and health officials realized they wouldn't have enough to give everyone.
Carmen Pugh got in line in time to get her two boys the vaccine. She took them out of school just to be sure.
"Half the kids in their class are already out sick, so I'm just trying to protect them -- keep them healthy and safe," she said.
Barbra Bear said she spent the last three days looking for the vaccine at clinics and doctors offices in Greensboro. According to her, some pediatricians would have a hundred kids waiting outside for about 20 doses.
But Bear's daughter, 3-year-old Isabella, got the 176th dose today.
"Yay! We did it!" explained Bear.
The health department ran out of vaccines just as the clinic closed at 4 p.m. More vaccinations are expected from the government in the future.
In the past week, at least 19 children nationwide have died from complications related to H1N1, health officials say. That's the largest one-week increase since the pandemic started, in April.
At least 114 children have died from H1N1 complications.
Several families arrived before 10 a.m., more than three hours before the clinic doors were scheduled to open, for a shot at getting one of the 400 nasal spray doses of the H1N1 vaccine.
"There were a handful already camped out -- lawn chairs and everything -- at the door waiting for us to open up shop at one o'clock," said Eric Nickens, of the Alamance County Department of Public Health.
By 1 p.m., the line circled around the front of the building and health officials realized they wouldn't have enough to give everyone.
Carmen Pugh got in line in time to get her two boys the vaccine. She took them out of school just to be sure.
"Half the kids in their class are already out sick, so I'm just trying to protect them -- keep them healthy and safe," she said.
Barbra Bear said she spent the last three days looking for the vaccine at clinics and doctors offices in Greensboro. According to her, some pediatricians would have a hundred kids waiting outside for about 20 doses.
But Bear's daughter, 3-year-old Isabella, got the 176th dose today.
"Yay! We did it!" explained Bear.
The health department ran out of vaccines just as the clinic closed at 4 p.m. More vaccinations are expected from the government in the future.
In the past week, at least 19 children nationwide have died from complications related to H1N1, health officials say. That's the largest one-week increase since the pandemic started, in April.
At least 114 children have died from H1N1 complications.
