Kathleen McElwee, who is seven months pregnant, said that she educated herself before she decided to get the vaccine.

"I wasn't nervous about getting the shot at all," McElwee said.  "I'm more nervous about getting the flu."

SPECIAL SECTION:  H1N1

Since pregnant women are considered at high-risk of contracting H1N1, they are among the first to get vaccinated, 10TV's Patrick Bell reported.

"Ever since I've heard about it, I've just been really scared," said Crystal Zurcher, an expectant mother.  "I don't leave my house because I'm scared of getting (H1N1) and hearing about the deaths really struck fear in me."

According to public health leaders, if there are not enough doses to go around this time, there soon will be.

"We are receiving shipments every week," said Union County Health Commissioner Jason Orcena.  "We've been told to continue to expect those but we don't know how many doses we'll receive each week.  We have to plan week-by-week what we'll be able to do."

"I have three kids at home," said Abbey Hurban, an expectant mother.  "If something happens to me, they could get it or they could be without me."

The Union County Health Department received about 400 doses of the vaccine and more shipments will arrive every week.

The seasonal flu mist and shots are all gone and the seasonal clinics were canceled, Bell reported.

10TV News contacted other counties and officials said that they were awaiting more shipments of the shot before setting up any clinics.  Pike County has planned a "Pregnant Women Only" clinic that is scheduled Monday from 2-4 p.m.  It will take place at the General Health District offices along U.S. 23 in Waverly.  The vaccines are free.

Parents Flooding Hospital ERs

According to federal health officials, the H1N1 virus is the source of an unprecedented amount of illness for so early in the fall.

They also announced that 11 more U.S. children have died in the last week.

At Nationwide Children's Hospital in Columbus, the facility is busy with sick children.

"It's been 30-50 percent busier," said Nationwide Children's Hospital vice president Jack Clark.  "Two years ago, we had 400 visits on campus for the first time between our emergency department and our on-campus urgent care center."

Clark, who heads Ambulatory Services, told 10TV's Tracy Townsend that more than 600 children came in with their parents worried about H1N1 influenza.

The hospital's pandemic flu plan has already been put into action and includes an emergency department annex on the second floor with additional beds and medical staff.

"We're still incredibly busy," Clark said.  "Waits are longer than we'd like and certainly longer than the family would like.  The system is stressed but we've been planning for this."

Warning signs that a child needs to go to the emergency department include fast or difficult breathing, complaints of chest pain while breathing and severe or persistent vomiting.

Stay with 10TV News and 10TV.com for continuing coverage.

More Information:

• Nationwide Children's Hospital H1N1 Fact Sheet

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