(SLOAN, IA) The Westwood Community School District is the first in Woodbury County to offer the H1N1 flu vaccine to students. The Siouxland District Health Department offered the free vaccines to Westwood students to test the system.

H1N1 vaccines are coming in slowly to Woodbury County so the Siouxland District Health Department must distribute them sparingly.

"They don't have 50,000 vaccines right now, nobody does. But they have enough to cover a small district like us," says Kirk Ahrends, Westwood Superintendent.

The department is only giving vaccines to the top priority groups right now, including pregnant women, health care workers and children.

"Out of Woodbury County, out of 103,000 people, 50,000 people are in that priority group," says Chuck Cipperley, Siouxland District Health Department Deputy Director.    

So to keep Siouxland students safe, the department will go into schools and set up vaccine clinics. Westwood volunteered to test run the system.
            
"We want to be the first ones to help figure out the problems so that when they move out to the bigger districts, that they can move into them and do them smoothly and successfully," says Ahrends.

About 400 of the school's 625 students signed up for either the flu mist or shot and every single one of them got parent permission. District Health says in-house clinics will help target this priority group.

"Schools are perfect incubators. There's always colds going around the school and so forth so, this is a good place to start," says Cipperley.

Cipperley hopes eventually everyone will be able to get the vaccine.

About 90% of students got the flu mist. Only those with health issues like asthma or diabetes get the shot. More school clinics take place when vaccines arrive.

Reported by Erika Thomas. You can contact her at ethomas@kmeg.com.