The Catoosa County Health Department has received 800 doses of the H1N1 injectable vaccine and 200 doses of the H1N1 nasal mist.

“This 800-dose shipment represents a small portion of the overall amount of vaccine we expect to receive over the next couple of months,” nurse manager Amy Carroll.

The health department will begin offering the injectable vaccine on a walk-in basis for priority, high-risk individuals on Thursday, Nov. 5, from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. The health depart-ment is at 145 Catoosa Circle in Ringgold.

Priority individuals include: pregnant women; care givers of infants less than 6 months of age; children and young adults aged 6 months to 24 years; persons aged 25-64 years who have medical conditions, such as asthma, diabetes, heart disease, chronic lung disease and im-munosuppressive disorders; health care and emergency medical service workers.

The nasal mist version of the vaccine is available for healthy individuals between the ages of 2 and 49.

Carroll said the vaccine is free, but clients are asked to bring their private insurance, Medicare, Medicare supplement, PeachCare or Medicaid card as a small administration fee may be charged to their insurance.

“No client will be billed or expected to pay,” Carroll said. “Clients with no insurance will not be expected to pay.”

Carroll said the vaccine is manufactured in the same way as seasonal flu vaccines.

“We have a high degree of confidence in its safety,” Carroll said. “We did not cut any cor-ners in manufacturing or testing in terms of safety.”

Additional opportunities to receive the vaccine will be announced as more become available. Carroll said the current vaccination campaign will “last for many weeks.”

For more information about the Catoosa County Health Department’s plans to administer the vaccine or to inquire about availability, contact the health department at 706-935-2366.

The Georgia Department of Community Health’s Division of Public Health has set up an H1N1 information hotline for the public at 888-H1N1-INFO.