Some child care facilities in the Sioux Falls area will soon be giving out H1N1 shots to protect workers and kids. But they won't be available to the general public just yet.

Large day care centers in Minnehaha County are being notified right now about shot clinics that will begin later this week. Health care officials are urging everyone else to be patient.

The young kids may be among the first in South Dakota to get the H1N1 flu shot. But a nationwide vaccine shortage means the clinic won't be open to the general public. This round of vaccinations is by invitation only.

"We don't want a very large number of people there waiting for a very small number of vaccinations," Minnehaha County Emergency Management Director Lynn DeYoung said.

DeYoung says the state is following CDC guidelines to decide who gets the shots and nasal spray first.

"We hope to be vaccinating places that have large numbers of kids. Because we know that once it gets into a school or day care, you bring in one sick kid and it has the potential to spread to many children," DeYoung said.

For parents of kids who are invited to this week's clinic, DeYoung says you should show up at the designated time with your paperwork all filled out.

"We encourage all of the people that fit into the target groups that we're inviting to come on down and receive the vaccination," DeYoung said.

As for the people who are not invited...

"This is an ongoing process. We know that they are out there, but like I said, we have to control the invitation list because there are only so many doses that we can give out," DeYoung said.

Full text available at KELOLAND.COM.