BOONE COUNTY -- Pregnant women in Boone County have the option of getting a H1N1 vaccine after a recent health policy change.

Boone County Health Officials began offering the vaccines for free Monday on a walk-in basis at their Columbia headquarters on Worley Street. The free H1N1 vaccine clinic for pregnant women in Boone County lasts until Friday between the hours of 8 a.m until 4:30 p.m.

Pregnant women will be getting the injection vaccine, with the dead strain of the H1N1 virus, versus the nasal spray FluMist. A recent health policy change said pregnant women can take the vaccine containing mercury.

“Previously, pregnant women in Missouri were not eligible for the mercury-containing vaccine," Boone County Health Department spokeswoman Geni Alexander said. "However, director Donnelly from the Department of Health and Senior Services lifted that ban last week. That was because there was a shortage of the P3 vaccine for pregnant women. Now that that ban has been lifted, pregnant women can now make the decision whether or not to take the mercury-containing vaccine.”

Boone County Health Officials will hold a one-day free H1N1 vaccine clinic on Tuesday between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. at Boone County Health Department headquarters  for children between the ages of five and 18 with chronic medical conditions.

The child clinic will also be on a walk-in basis with a limited supply of vaccines.

Miller County Health Center received its first shipment of the H1N1 vaccine. Because of the limited supply of the vaccine the health center will administer the vaccine to the high risk population as defined by the Center of Disease Control:

• Pregnant Women
• Health Care workers/Emergency Responders (direct patient care)
• Family Members and Caregiver of infants up to six months of age
• Children 6 months up to and including nine years of age
• Children 10 to 18 years of age with the following chronic diseases: Asthma, Diabetes, Heart disease, Neuromuscular Diseases

Cole County Health Department will hold its first public flu clinic for the H1N1 vaccine on Saturday, Nov. 7 at the Capital Mall’s community room in Jefferson City from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. The clinic will administer the vaccine to the following priority groups:

• Pregnant women
• Household contacts of caregivers of infants under 6 months of age
• Children six months to four years of age
• Children five to 18 years of age with a chronic medical condition

As Cole County gets more doses, additional priority groups will be able to receive the vaccine.

There may be more H1N1 flu clinics with vaccine availability:

• Saturday, Nov. 14, in Wardsville
• Saturday, Nov. 21, in Russellville
• Saturday, Nov. 28, in Jefferson City