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How city officials sorted out who should get the H1N1 flu vaccine at Chicago’s first public clinics was among the questions nagging area residents in the days since President Barack Obama declared swine flu a national emergency. They also want to know why Cook County has been slow to offer its own clinics, and how the flu might affect the holidays.

Below are edited excerpts of some queries sent to the Tribune’s reporting team this week, with the answers:

QI am pregnant with triplets, due to give birth in 10 days. I brought my 2-year-old son, my husband and my mom (our caretaker) to Truman College’s clinic on Saturday. We waited in line for 5 1/2 hours for the vaccine. … What kind of screening are they doing for these shots, just first come, first served?

AWith a limited supply of vaccine at each clinic, Chicago Health Department officials are trying to limit it to high-priority groups. But mostly they are relying on people being honest when asked in line if they fall into one of those groups.

“We’re trusting people to do the right thing,” said Julie Morita, director of the department’s immunization program.

According to Tim Hadac, a department spokesman, officials are confident that nearly everyone who got vaccines at the first clinics was in a high risk group, although a “small percentage” might have slipped through. Some people had asthma, diabetes, immune disorders and other chronic illnesses that would not always be obvious to other people in line, he said.

Overall, those eligible for early vaccines are health care workers; pregnant women; children and young adults ages 6 months to 24 years; people who live with or care for infants younger than 6 months; and people ages 25 to 64 with chronic health conditions. The public clinics are being offered Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays at six City Colleges campuses as long as there is demand and supply.

QWe are going to visit my in-laws for Thanksgiving and we were told we can’t see my father-in-law unless we have H1N1 shots. I have chronic sinusitis plus a diminished immune system, so how likely am I to find the vaccine before Thanksgiving? Is there a list of locations that have the vaccine?

AYou should call your doctor or health care provider to see if it is available, and where. Once the vaccine is readily available, a list of health departments and pharmacies will be made available on the Illinois Department of Public Health Web site, www.idph.state.il.us.

The vaccine continues to be in short supply across the country because of production delays. Health officials have said they expect a better supply by mid-November and that by early December, the vaccine should be widely available. Most vaccine is now going to local health departments and hospitals.

QThe city of Chicago has the vaccine. DuPage County has it. Cook County Department of Health — nada. Why is Cook County so behind?

ACook County Health Department officials said they got their initial 20,000 doses of vaccine late last week. Six thousand doses were allocated to hospitals in suburban Cook County and about 5,000 doses to public schools in Palatine, the first district designated for student vaccinations. Other doses have been reserved for health care workers at the county Health Department. No vaccine is currently available for public clinics, a county spokesman said. Officials were “cautiously optimistic” the department will get more vaccine early next week that will allow for public clinics to begin soon in suburban Cook County.

QAre there precautions a family should take regarding trick-or-treat candy this Halloween?

AState and local health officials recommend giving out wrapped candy. Rather than allowing children to reach into a bowl, hand it to them. Children should wash their hands, use sanitizer and wash any fruit or other food.

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