The first H1N1 — swine flu — vaccines were administered to health care workers in Cowlitz County on Thursday, but there’s still no word when the vaccines will be available to the general public.

The first round of vaccines — 1,000 total — went to county health and safety officials, St. John Medical Center and area clinics. Priority is being given to first responders and caregivers, though a small number of young children also may receive some of the county’s first vaccines through their daycare centers, officials said.

After first responders and healthcare workers receive their vaccines, county and regional officials will give any left over from the first batch of vaccines to workers and children ages 2 to 5 in large day care centers, said Jerusha Angel, a spokeswoman for the Cowlitz County Health Department.

Children are particularly vulnerable to complications from so called “swine flu” and are the next group of people recommended by federal officials to receive the vaccine.

Regional health officials — including Cowlitz, Clark, Wahkiakum and Skamania counties — have already contacted area day care centers about distributing the vaccines. All of the vaccines so far are the nasal mist kind, which are safe for people 2 to 49 years old except for pregnant mothers.

At St. John, priority for the hospital’s 400 doses are for employees with direct patient care, said spokesman Randy Querin. Employees are not required to get the vaccine. However, they are strongly encouraged to do so to protect themselves and prevent the spread of the illness, Querin said.

Ideally, the hospital would like to see 100 percent of its 1,800 employees vaccinated, but that depends on supplies and other needs, he said.

Some hospitals in the state have proposed requiring all caregivers to be vaccinated, though a statewide nurses group has objected to mandatory vaccines for its members.

The hospital was asked by federal officials to disperse the vaccines within 72 hours of receiving them to ensure the vaccines are given as quickly as possible. To do so, the hospital set up a vaccine station in the hospital so employees could visit on their way to work, Querin said.

More nasal mist vaccines are expected to arrive next week, and the shot version should be in the area later in the month. There is no information yet about when the vaccines will be available to the general public, but health department officials said they will make announcements when they have vaccines and plans in place. Doctors offices do not yet have vaccines for patients.

“Each week we will be getting new vaccine and we’ll be able to get out more and more,” Angel said. “It’s not a matter of if (for the general public), it’s a matter of when.”

Because the new “swine flu” vaccine is initially limited priority will be given to groups deemed most at risk for complications if they become sick. Those groups are:

• Healthcare and emergency workers

• Pregnant women

• People who live with or provide care to infants younger than 6 months old

• People 6 months to 24 years old

• People ages 25 to 64 with medical conditions that put them at higher risk for flu-related complications.