Franciscan Health Services will partner with the Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department to hold an H1N1 vaccine clinic today for health care workers.

The clinic will take place at St. Joseph Medical Center in Tacoma from noon to 7 p.m. There will be about 1,600 doses of nasal mist and injectable shots available.

Hospital and Health Department officials said the clinic is only for nurses, nursing aides, doctors, paramedics and other health care workers who have direct contact with patients.

The vaccine is free. Health care workers are asked to bring their professional certification.

The department earlier this week issued tough new guidelines for who should be eligible to be vaccinated, citing a critical shortage of the swine flu vaccine in the county.

A vaccination clinic tentatively set for Nov. 21 at Mount Tahoma High School has been canceled for lack of vaccine, said John Britt, a Health Department spokesman.

Pregnant women and health care workers who have close patient contact are the highest priorities for vaccination under the new guidelines.

Britt said health care workers need to stay well so they don’t pass on the flu to their patients and are available to care for people in case of a major swine flu outbreak.

Despite the revised guidelines, the department is encouraging pharmacies not to turn away other people considered high risks to catch swine flu, including young people up to age 24.

Mike Archbold, The News Tribune