With thousands of H1N1 vaccinations available, area health officials are doing something they didn’t expect — waiting for willing participants.

"So far, the (Hall County) Health Department has given about 75 doses of the H1N1 vaccine," said Dave Palmer, spokesperson for District 2 Public Health, which includes Hall.

Exactly one week ago, the first round of 2,700 H1N1 vaccinations arrived in Hall County. Because young children are most susceptible to getting ill, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention mandated that the batch be limited to 2- to 4-year-olds. According to the CDC, there have been 76 pediatric H1N1 deaths since April. Last week alone, there were 16 pediatric deaths that were confirmed H1N1 cases.

The newness of the H1N1 vaccine could explain why the current H1N1, or swine flu, vaccination numbers are so low.

"This is the first time that they are giving this vaccine out to people. I don’t know how I feel about my kids being guinea pigs," said Rachel Hester, a Flowery Branch mother of a 9- and 10-year-old. "What if it causes problems like the one in the 1970s did?"

In 1976, U.S. health officials launched a campaign to encourage Americans to get vaccinated against the swine flu. Later, researchers discovered that there was a slightly higher risk of Guillian-Barre syndrome for Americans who received the vaccination, approximately one additional case per 100,000 people who received the 1976 swine flu vaccine, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

Guillian-Barre is a "rare disease in which the body damages its own nerve cells, causing muscle weakness and sometimes paralysis." Although no associations have been made yet, the Food and Drug Administration and CDC are monitoring H1N1 vaccinations for serious problems, including any links to Guillian-Barre.

Amie Whitfield, a Gainesville mother also is on the fence about the vaccine.

"I’m thinking about it, but I haven’t made up my mind," said Whitfield, who has a 6-year-old daughter.

Other parents, like Amanda Day of Dacula, have already made up their minds about the vaccine.

"I’ve done some research and read a lot of information and I feel like the vaccine is safe enough for my (4- and 7-year-old) daughters," said Day. "It’s new, but I’d rather be safe than sorry, so I plan on getting them vaccinated."

Although local supplies haven’t been depleted yet, the CDC expects shipments of H1N1 vaccinations to be shipped out each week.

"We expect to receive more. However, we do not know which type we will receive," said Palmer. "As we receive more vaccines, we will continue to follow CDC guidelines and begin to offer it to other groups."

The H1N1 vaccine is available in two types — a nasal spray and a shot. Currently, only the nasal spray is available. Because it contains a live virus, the nasal vaccination is only recommended for healthy individuals between the ages of 2 and 49.

The shot version of the H1N1 vaccination will be available for the other segments of the population.