Northwest Georgia county health departments have received vaccine and begun offering H1N1 flu shots, according to a news release this morning.

Dr. Wade Sellers with Northwest Georgia Public Health said 3,200 doses are available for Catoosa, Dade and Walker counties.

"We wish we had more right now and share the public's frustration with the delays in getting it to our community, but we expect there will eventually be enough vaccine for everyone who wants to receive it to do so," Dr. Sellers said in the release.

Priority recipients for the vaccine are pregnant women; caregivers of infants less than 6 months of age; children and young adults age 6 months to 24 years; people age 25-64 who have medical conditions, such as asthma, diabetes, heart disease, chronic lung disease and immunosuppressive disorders, and health care and emergency medical service workers.

Here is the schedule for shots:

Catoosa County -- The health department will begin offering 800 H1N1 flu shots on a walk-in basis for priority, high-risk individuals starting today at 145 Catoosa Circle in Ringgold. Hours are 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. The department also has 200 doses of the intranasal "FluMist" vaccine available for healthy people aged 2 to 49.

Dade County -- The health department at 71 Case Ave., Suite H-100, in Trenton, has 600 H1N1 flu shots on a walk-in basis. Hours are 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday and Wednesday, 8 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Thursday, 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Friday.

Walker County -- The health department will begin offering 1,800 H1N1 flu shots by appointment at 603 Villanow St., LaFayette, Ga. Appointments are available from 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Monday through Friday.

Whitfield/Murray counties -- The Northwest Georgia Health District says flu shots are available at county health departments between 7:30 a.m. and 5:30 p.m. Monday through Thursday and from 7:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. Friday.

Dr. Sellers said the vaccine is free, but clients should bring their private insurance, Medicare, Medicare supplement, PeachCare or Medicaid cards since a small administration fee may be charged to their insurance.

The Chattanooga-Hamilton County Health Department also has H1N1 vaccine in shot form, according to a news release.

More H1N1 vaccine will be coming, and everyone who wants to be vaccinated will have an opportunity, the release stated.

HEALTH DEPARTMENT CONTACTS

Catoosa: 706-935-2366

Dade: 706-657-4213

Hamilton: 423-209-8393

Murray: 706-695-4585

Walker: 706-638-5577.

Whitfield: 706-279-9600