HOUSTON -- Hundreds of people lined up at Houston health clinics Wednesday to get the H1N1 vaccine, KPRC Local 2 reported.

The lines extended into the parking lot throughout the morning. The lines started forming at about 5:30 a.m. and about 100 people were in line at a clinic on Beechnut Street an hour before it opened at 9 a.m.

"The vaccine is so scarce," Addie Simmons said. "While it's available, I wanted to get it."

Nine clinics (listed below) will have the vaccine and each can immunize about 250 patients daily on a first-come, first-served basis. People will have to get a number when they arrive at the clinics.

Some of the clinics reported wait times up to two hours.

"My son is 20. I want to get him one because he works with people and money and money is nasty," parent Jaynell Gilmore said.

Most will receive the nasal spray version of the vaccine, but pregnant women and children with certain health problems will get the shot.

"We will encourage people to take the nasal spray because that's what we have the most of, if they're eligible for it," Houston Health Department spokeswoman Kathy Barton said. "That would be anybody that is 2 to 49 years of age, who is otherwise healthy, is eligible and should request that type of vaccine. We also have a little bit of the injectable vaccine that is for the extremely high-risk patients, and that would be pregnant women and children who are not eligible for the nasal spray that have conditions that would be complicated by influenza."

Stephanie Ramos is five months pregnant. Her boyfriend encouraged her to get the vaccine.

"Three or four pregnant ladies have already passed away," Ramos said. "He's scared of that."

Some parents decided to keep their children out of school Wednesday so they could get the shot.

"All three of my kids have asthma," Monica Cox said. "They have a lot of family members that go to Mexico and Guatemala and Venezuela and they come back. Just because the family members are not sick doesn't mean they can't bring the virus back with them."

The H1N1 vaccine will be provided at no cost for those who do not have insurance or if their physician does not have the vaccine available. Health officials urged only those at high-risk for contracting the swine flu to seek them until more doses are available.

Health officials predict that there will be enough vaccine for everyone who wants it within the next several weeks.

So far this year, 15 people have died from the H1N1 virus in the Houston and Harris County areas.

Galveston County, which has reported one death connected to H1N1, will vaccinate thousands of high-risk persons at Mall of the Mainland in Texas City from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Friday and Saturday.

Galveston County officials said it has more than 5,000 doses and will follow the recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

"Given the uncertainty of vaccine distribution this season, it's most important that county residents in any of the high-risk groups get vaccinated first to prevent risk of illness, hospitalization and other severe consequences," said Dr. Mark Guidry. "Persons who are not in the high-risk groups may be able to be vaccinated later this year as more vaccine becomes available."

The CDC recommends the following groups receive the vaccine:

pregnant women
household contacts and caregivers for children younger than 6 months of age
health care and emergency medical services personnel
all people 6 months through 24 years of age
persons 25 to 64 years of age who have health conditions associated with higher risk of medical complications from influenza (lung disease, heart disease, asthma, etc.)

Persons who are not at high risk will not receive the vaccination from the Galveston County Health District until doses become widely available, officials said.

Two H1N1 vaccination sites have been relocated to larger locations that can accommodate more people indoors due to inclement weather. The Alief WIC site will relocate to the Southwest WIC at 6400 High Star. The Northwest WIC site will relocate to the Acres Home Multi-Service Center, 6719 W. Montgomery.

A total of nine sites will offer the H1N1 vaccinations:

Acres Home Multi-Service Center 6719 W. Montgomery, 77091

Airline WIC, 5990 Airline Suite 200, 77076

Braesner WIC, 8632 South Braeswood, 77031

La Nueva Casa De Amigos Health Center, 1809 North Main, 77009

Lyons Health Center, 5602 Lyons, 77020

Magnolia Health Center, 7037 Capitol, 77011

Northside Health Center, 8523 Arkansas, 77093

Southwest WIC, 6400 High Star, 77074

Sunnyside Multi-Service Center, 4605 Wilmington, 77051