A South Austin medical clinic is offering doses of the H1N1 vaccinations to the general public for $19 a shot.
But doctors at the clinic join with experts at the Texas Department of Health and others in wanting the limited supply of vaccines on hand now to go to people in high-risk categories.
"We like to use an honest component if we could, but certainly not push anyone away or turn back anyone," said Dr. Joseph Elizondo, who works at the clinic in south Austin. "I think as the news and the information gets out, we're going to continue to see higher amounts coming in and more opportunity to administer the vaccine to the individuals who need it."
Elizondo says the vaccines are available to anyone, but says he hopes people not in a high risk group will wait until the vaccines are more widely available, leaving the relatively few vaccines available now for those in high-risk groups. Still, he says, the clinic will not refuse to give someone a vaccine solely because they aren't classified as high risk.
The Centers for Disease Control has identified those in the high-risk categories as pregnant women, caregivers for children younger than 2, people between 6 months and 24 years old, persons with chronic health conditions and health care workers.
Amanda Yarbrough was among the first to get an H1N1 vaccination at the clinic Thursday morning. As a diabetic, she falls into a high-risk category.
"I saw the e-mail out this morning about this here at Texas MedClinic, so I went ahead and came over here," she said.
Brandon Noska also made a trip to the clinic Thursday. He, too, is considered high-risk because of his asthma and because he and his wife have young children.
"My wife and oldest daughter got the nasal version at the pediatricians, but I have a history of asthma so they recommended to get the shot," he said.
The clinic began offering its limited supply to the public on Wednesday. It will continue to offer the vaccines from 8 a.m. to 11 p.m. daily until its supply runs out.
Texas MedClinic is at 9900 South Interstate 35 in the Southpark Meadows Shopping Center.
