Hopeful flu shot recipients wait in line at Times Super Market in Liliha for the vaccination. Richard Ambo • The Honolulu Advertiser

Dr. Linda Rosen, state deputy health director, said the state is surveying healthcare providers throughout Hawai'i to find out exactly how much vaccine is available to try to get an idea how critical the shortage is. She said the state wants to know how much vaccine has arrived and how much has been given.

Then the state can recommend how the remaining vaccine should be distributed to try to reach as many high-priority residents as possible, she said. The state is asking people to skip flu shots for now if they are not in a high-risk group for flu.

Most people receiving shots this week are in one of the high-risk categories: over 65 years of age. A few, however, were not considered high risk and were turned away without a shot.

Roger Higa, 40, a manager at a Zippy's restaurant, said he was disappointed he couldn't get one.

Jean Muragin of Kalihi gets a flu shot from Shannon Mitchell at the Liliha Times. The clinic was run by The Medical Corner. Richard Ambo • The Honolulu Advertiser

Yesterday's clinic in Liliha, at Times Super Market, was run by The Medical Corner.

By and large, people seemed to be heeding state officials' recommendation that they should not get a shot if they are healthy and not in a high-risk category, according to the clinics.

Howard Char, who lives near Valley of the Temples, said he showed up yesterday at Times to get his annual flu shot after finding out that another clinic at Longs Drugs had been canceled because of the shortage.

Char, 69, said he was referred to the supermarket clinic by his doctor's office. "I called my doctor and they said they didn't have any vaccine," he said.

The popular community clinics sponsored statewide by an HMSA subsidiary at Longs Drugs and other locations have been canceled while officials assess the situation and determine how to distribute the supplies they have.

At the Hawaii Medical Service Association, senior vice president Cliff Cisco said a decision will be made over the next few days on what the next step will be. "We have a limited supply," Cisco said.

She said some people will object to the limitation.

"I think there will be a subgroup of healthy people who really strongly want the vaccine and will be disappointed that they can't get it," she said.

Dr. Robert Sussman, medical director for The Medical Corner, which operates urgent-care clinics in Kailua, Kapolei and Waikiki and at the airport, is continuing a series of community clinics offered at Times Super Market locations across O'ahu.

Sussman's staff is referring those who don't fall into the high-risk groups to their clinics rather than giving them some of the scarce vaccine now.

He feels comfortable continuing the vaccinations because years of giving flu shots has shown him that the majority of those seeking the shots fall into the most needy categories. "We're giving it to the people who need it," Sussman said. "If you pull it away, they're going to panic anyway."

Sussman's staff opened the Liliha clinic several hours early because Times got so many phone calls asking about the shots.

Sussman said he wouldn't feel right about having the vaccine and not giving it to those who are counting on the annual shots. "The mission of The Medical Corner is to get out there and give people access to medical care," he said.

However, he does contract with various companies that offer flu shots to employees, and many of those have been put on hold until the impact of the shortage has been evaluated.

Longs Drug Stores Corp., operator of 469 drugstores in Western states, including Hawai'i, has suspended flu vaccinations at its stores until further notice, spokeswoman Phyllis Proffer said.

Nationally, U.S. drugstore chains Walgreen Co. and Rite Aid Corp. said they plan to reserve flu shots for high-risk patients, and some companies canceled worker vaccination programs. Officials with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention were tracking distribution of flu vaccine and areas where acute shortages are likely. The CDC also said it will monitor flu hot spots and talk with community health officials to make sure that enough vaccine is available where needed.

Cyndi Graham is a healthy woman in her 40s who was hoping to find some flu protection through the nasal mist that officials recommended, but the 'Aiea resident couldn't find any yesterday.

Rosen said the mist has not been shipped yet. She said health officials will be checking on when it will become available and will notify the public when it does.

Graham, who is not in a high-risk group, understands the need to save the vaccine for those most in need. But she hopes the mist can help her and others to stay healthier.

"I believe that it saves time away from work. Personally, you don't affect your family and those you work with," Graham said.