The plan to offer swine flu vaccines at schools has run into snags in this area. A shortage of the vaccine and changing priorities on who should get the shots has meant that most students are unprotected. The initial effort to aim vaccines at schools was because children are most vulnerable to swine flu. Some districts have not gotten vaccines and have had to cancel clinics, and other districts that have gotten a few doses have had conflicting recommendations about who should get priority. Guidelines first suggested giving it to healthy students first, then were changed to urge that the first vaccines go those with health problems like asthma, diabetes or cerebral palsy.

Production of the vaccine, which comes in a nasal spray or a shot, has been slower than expected nationwide. About 175,000 doses have been shipped to Missouri and 660,000 to Illinois.

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