AUSTIN, Texas (AP) - State health officials say Texas prisoners
are not a priority to get swine flu vaccine and will not be
vaccinated ahead of the general public.
     
The Department of State Health Services says Texas has not
allocated any H1N1 vaccine to prisons yet. Texas is initially
targeting priority groups most at risk, such as pregnant women.
     
DSHS says health care providers who serve pregnant women in
prisons have requested the vaccine. A statement Wednesday said it
is unclear when Texas will be able to fill those orders "given the
limited national supply of the vaccine."
     
Texas prison officials previously said the system has asked for
more than 158,000 doses of swine flu vaccine to inoculate inmates.
     
Federal health authorities so far have allocated less than 1.7
million doses to Texas.

     
On the Net:
     
www.dshs.state.tx.us/txflu/default.shtm
     
     
(Copyright 2009 by The Associated Press.  All Rights Reserved.)
     
AP-NY-10-29-09 0634EDT