It’s been a long wait since the virus was first discovered, but the Lewis County Public Health officials are anticipating the county’s first 800 doses of swine flu vaccination to become available sometime next week.

    “There’s a 10-step process between getting the allocation and getting vaccines in our hot little hands,” said Lewis County Public Health Officer Dr. Rachel Wood.

    The county health department initially was expecting the arrival of vaccinations sometime this week.

    The first vaccine will be in the form of FluMist, a live attenuated virus that is given as a nasal spray.

    It can only be given to only “non-pregnant people 2 through 49 years of age without any chronic health conditions,” according to a county health department news release.

    “It is a live form of the virus and it has been weakened, but it’s still a safety precaution just in case,” said Marie Tucker, health educator for Lewis County Public Health.

    Tucker said the first round of vaccines is headed to three large Chehalis and Centralia pediatric providers, because of the limitations on who can receive FluMist.

    One of the three pediatric providers, Chehalis Children’s Clinic, declined to give FluMist to their patients.

    Chad Cheney, a nurse at the clinic, said that’s because the FluMist was a live virus.

    “FluMist is basically the influenza virus,” he said. “You squirt it in your nose, and you’ve given yourself the flu.”

    Cheney said FluMist vaccinations are “ineffective,” adding there is a “huge difference between the shot and FluMist.”

    “We all have our own small opinions, but (the H1N1 vaccine) doesn’t have enough time under its belt,” Cheney said. “It’s new, and the nasal stuff just doesn’t work.”

    Cheney said a lot of people have come into the clinic “media freaked,” looking for the both vaccines. Last week, about 200 people came in to receive their seasonal flu vaccinations, compared to the usual 80 to 100, he said.

    Wood is expecting to receive an allocation of the injectable H1N1 vaccine in the coming weeks, but with delays expected, “nothing is guaranteed.”

    She said pharmacies have stepped up and are willing to offer them, and the county health department has plans to give vaccinations.