First Swine Flu Vaccines Arrive In Charlotte

The first doses of the H1N1 vaccine arrived in Mecklenburg County on Tuesday.

The director of the Mecklenburg County Health Department said the department received 3,600 doses out of the 160,000 officials requested from the Centers For Disease Control.

All of the doses are the nasal spray vaccine, which will go to healthy people ages 2 to 49. State Immunization Branch spokeswoman Amy Caruso said Mecklenburg County will put healthcare workers at the top of its priority list, but it's up to the county as to how many of the doses will be given to healthcare employees.

Health department officials said they expect to receive more shipments as more doses of the vaccine become available. They are working with Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools to vaccinate children who may not be able to get the vaccine from their physicians.

At least 300 private healthcare providers in the county have also requested vaccines from the CDC. Caruso said 1,800 doses were sent to the Novant Healthcare System, which runs Presbyterian hospitals. Novant will be able to decide how to distribute its share of the vaccine.