TheBakersfieldCalifornian.com

Many private practice doctors and hospitals in Kern County received H1N1 flu vaccines for the first time this week for distribution to their patients.

Unfortunately, the Kern County Department of Public Health said it is prohibited by the state from releasing a list of those medical providers.

Nearly 10,000 doses of the vaccine developed to combat H1N1, commonly know as swine flu, were distributed to those local medical providers who applied for it, said Public Health Director Matt Constantine. It's the first access some medical providers have had to the vaccine.

"Our initial response was to immediately release all of that information to the public," Constantine said. "The California Department of Public Health indicated we are prohibited from doing so."

Individuals are encouraged to contact their medical provider to see if they received an allotment of the vaccine.

Meanwhile, some questions have remained about the vaccine and its distribution that Constantine and his staff were happy to address:

Have any serious adverse reactions to the H1N1 vaccine been reported in Kern County?

"I'm not aware of any adverse reactions that have required medical care," Constantine said.

Before the vaccines were released, some suggested that two vaccinations might be necessary to fight off the virus. Are boosters needed?

Children age 6 months to 9 years need a second dose -- administered a minimum of four weeks after the first dose, said a department spokeswoman. Parents of young children at vaccination clinics are being made aware of the need for a booster, she said.

So far, H1N1 vaccines have been targeted toward specific high-risk groups, including children and young adults, pregnant women and people with underlying conditions such as heart or lung disease, asthma and diabetes. Do clinic organizers screen those seeking vaccines?

"It's a challenging position for Public Health to be in," Constantine said. "Nurses at the clinics talk to people in line. We need to verify they meet the eligibility criteria."

But parents aren't being asked to bring birth certificates or medical records.

"I am hopeful that the public at large understands the need to focus our early efforts on those most at risk," Constantine added. "I'm optimistic that we will be able to drop the restrictions in the very near future as more vaccine becomes available."

For the time being, vaccines will continue to be targeted to the following priority groups:

* Ages 6 months to 24 years

* Pregnant women

* Caregivers of infants 6 months of age and younger

* People with underlying health conditions, ages 24 to 64

* Health care workers

The department has scheduled the following swine flu clinics:

10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Thursday at the Veteran's Hall in Lake Isabella, 6405 Lake Isabella Blvd.

1 to 3 p.m. Thursday at the Veterans Hall in Mojave, 15580 O St.

9 to 11 a.m. Thursday at the Rosamond Community Services District, 3179 35th St. West Rosamond.

10 a.m. to noon Friday at the Inyokern Baptist Church, 6521 Plains Ave. in Inyokern.

2 to 4 p.m. Friday at the El Camino Pines Lutheran Church, 6700 Lakewood Drive in Lake of the Woods.