The long awaited vaccine for the Swine Flu has arrived and will soon be available to area residents to help prevent the flu that has been making headline news around the nation.

The vaccine will be distributed this week to registered providers in the Lincoln Trail Health District, which covers the following counties: Hardin, Grayson, Larue, Meade, Nelson, Washington, and Marion.

The first shipment is a limited quantity of the intranasal vaccine. The only people who can take the intranasal flu vaccine are healthy people ages 2 to 49.

“No exact delivery dates to Grayson County for the vaccine have been announced,” said Grayson County Clinical Director GiGi Meredith. “When I have the vaccine available we will get that information out as soon as possible.”

More vaccines will be available in the coming weeks.

The Swine Flu is similar to the seasonal flu. It is spread through droplets that enter the air by the coughing or sneezing of infected people.

Just like seasonal flu, the symptoms of Swine Flu are fever, chills, coughing, headache, sore throat, sneezing, and muscle aches.

Although the number of people hospitalized with a flu-like illness is unusually high for this time of year, the amount due to Swine Flu is about the same as for seasonal flu, in all age groups. Both types of viruses are treated the same way.

Several local parents are waiting for the vaccine to arrive to get their children vaccinated.

“As soon as the vaccine becomes available I will get it,” said Ashley Gilbert. “I have a nine-month-old and I know he has greater risk of catching the illness and I do not want to carry the disease home to him.”

Meanwhile, Dee Kiger said she was getting “both my kids vaccinated because Patrick has terrible allergies and always has a sore throat, sinus infection or an earache and if this will help to keep him healthy I am all for it.”

The CDC recommends a three-pronged approach to fighting the flu, which applies to both seasonal flu and the Swine Flu virus; get vaccinated, people to cover their mouth when they cough, wash hands frequently, and stay home when feeling ill until being free of a fever for 24 hours without the help of medication.

The last thing is to use anti-viral medications if sick with the flu, and if a doctor recommends them.

To find out if the vaccine is available contact your local health care provider or the Grayson County Health Department