ELKHART -- H1N1 flu schoolwide vaccination clinics have started this week in Elkhart County.

About 560 Northridge High School students received the vaccine at a schoolwide clinic Monday, after the county received about 2,900 doses of the injectible vaccine last week, said Gwen Jaeger, manager of nursing services at the Elkhart County Health Department.

Jaeger said she is scheduling additional schoolwide clinics throughout the county. High schools and middle schools will receive vaccine first, because they offer the opportunity to immunize a larger pool of students at once. Jaeger will schedule clinics at the county's elementary schools after the high and middle schools are done.

"We started out with a schedule but with lack of the vaccine we've pulled back," she said.

FLU SHOTS FOR EVERYONE ELSE

People looking to get seasonal and H1N1 flu shots can do so at a walk-in vaccination clinic from 1 to 5 p.m. Wednesday at the Elkhart County Health Department, 608 Oakland Ave., Elkhart.

Seasonal flu vaccines will cost $21 for adults and $8 for children. People with Medicare Part B or Medicaid will receive a seasonal flu vaccine for free, but must show their Medicare or Medicaid card at the clinic. The H1N1 vaccine is free and will only be available in the nasal spray form Wednesday, according to a press release issued by the health department.

Only people in the Center for Disease Control's priority groups will be eligible to receive the H1N1 vaccine. Those include people ages 2 to 24 years, and adults ages 25 to 49 years if they are healthy and a health care worker, an EMT, or a caregiver of a child less than 6 months old.

For more information, call (574) 523-2143 or (877) 523-2283, ext. 2143.