Why are some people in high-risk groups, who are supposed to be at the top of the list for getting the H1N1 vaccine, unable to find a place to get vaccinated?
Many providers simply have no H1N1 vaccine or are quickly running out of their supplies. Another complication is that the H1N1 vaccine comes in almost a dozen different formulations meant for different groups of people. Some formulations are only appropriate for babies, some only for teenagers, some for pregnant women, and so on. Making the process even more complex, each shipment contains a mix of these different formulations, and the state can’t find out much ahead of time how much of each formulation it will receive. Then, once the vaccines are available, the state has to match those formulations to specific vaccine requests by health care providers statewide. So even if you’re high-risk, your doctor might not have the correct formulation for you.
