RACINE COUNTY - After H1N1 vaccine shortages this fall caused state and local health departments to vaccinate only select high-risk groups, county health officials said Monday they will expand the vaccine's availability to other populations at December vaccination clinics.

"We will not turn anybody away," said Cheryl Mazmanian, health officer for the Western Racine County Health Department.

That department and the other two health departments in Racine County will all have H1N1 vaccines available for anyone aged 6 months to 24 years and for those 25- to 64-year-olds with illnesses that make them more susceptible to the flu. Vaccines will also continue to be available to pregnant women, child care providers and health care workers.

All these groups are the original groups identified for H1N1 vaccination by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in August before the U.S. experienced a shortage of vaccines for H1N1, or swine flu, according to the CDC.

To vaccinate the new, larger target groups, the Western Racine County Health Department will hold vaccination clinics Dec. 2, 9, 16 and 23 from 2 to 6 p.m. at the department, 156 E. State St. in Burlington. No appointments are necessary and available vaccines will include both the injectable and nasal spray varieties, according to a Monday press release from the department, which serves Racine County communities west of Interstate 94.

Residents of communities in Racine County east of I-94 can schedule vaccination appointments at the City of Racine and Caledonia/Mount Pleasant health departments, said department officials.

City of Racine residents can schedule a vaccination appointment at the City of Racine Health Department, 730 Washington Ave., by calling (262) 636-9108, said Marcia Fernholz, interim public health administrator and director of environmental health for the city department.

Others can schedule an appointment at the Caledonia/Mount Pleasant Health Department, 10005 Northwestern Ave. in Franksville, by calling (262) 835-6429, said Margaret Gesner, health officer for the Caledonia/Mount Pleasant Health Department.

This is the first time vaccination clinics and appointments have been advertised in Racine County as being for the larger population groups, Mazmanian said.

Clinics held in Racine County earlier this fall initially targeted only the following groups: pregnant women; health care workers and emergency medical services personnel who have direct contact with patients or infectious material; children aged 6 months to 4 years; youth aged 5 to 18 with chronic medical conditions; and anyone providing care or living with infants 6 months or younger.

That initial group was expanded little by little based on state and CDC recommendations as Wisconsin and local county health departments began receiving more and more vaccines. As of Nov. 20, the state had been allotted a total of 1,002,000 doses of H1N1 vaccine, according to the Department of Health Services.

By December, Mazmanian said the state and her department anticipate they "will be getting a good supply of vaccines" to cover larger segments of the county population.

"We have some vaccine on hand now," she said, "but we will continue to order more."