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WARREN - For those people looking to obtain their seasonal flu shots at area health departments, it may be too late.

The Mahoning and Trumbull County Health departments are reporting they are out of nearly out of the season flu vaccines, as are some area pharmacies.

People calling into the Mahoning County Health Department are learning the county's seasonal flu clinics are now closed, and the department does not believe it will be receiving any additional seasonal flu vaccine shipments for the area.

In Trumbull, the health department Monday afternoon had about five shots remaining at its office.

And that was before David Thomas of Newton Falls and his mother showed up about 2 p.m. to each get an inoculation.

The inoculation was especially important to Thomas. He said he has cystic fibrosis and is a former lung-transplant recipient.

"When someone calls or comes in, we provide the vaccination," said Selene Layton, nursing supervisor with the Trumbull County Department of Health.

The department received about half of the 500 doses of the vaccine that it ordered from the manufacturers and another 100 doses from the state. It is not known whether the second half of the order will be sent later in the season.

"We believe we received less than we ordered because manufacturers reduced their production of the seasonal flu vaccine as they began producing the 2009 H1N1 vaccine," Layton said.

Receiving half the amount it ordered was a surprise to the health department because its original order was about a fifth of the amount that it typically ordered in past years.

"In typical flu seasons, we would order enough to give about 2,500 vaccinations," Layton said. "However, over the last several years, fewer people have been coming to us for the shots, because there are so many other places they could go to get them, including their family physicians and, increasingly, drug store chains."

It is because the number of sources for vaccinations have increased, Layton believes a larger percentage of people have received vaccinations.

The owner of Franklin Pharmacy on Youngstown Road, Franklin Manios says his store also is out of the seasonal flu vaccine, but it is expected to receive more before the end of the flu season.

"We were told last Friday that we would receive a new shipment, but we don't know when we will receive it," Manios said. "We only received a partial shipment of our order. We had between 500 and 600 doses."

In regards to the 2009 H1N1 vaccinations, the Trumbull County Health Department provided a clinic last week for first responders and are expected to hold a small clinic for pregnant women and children with severe medical concerns this Friday.

Area school districts have sent letters home with their students asking parents whether they want to have their children receive the 2009 H1N1 vaccine.

"Actual clinics will not be scheduled until we receive the vaccine," Layton said.

rsmith@tribtoday.com