Local hospitals have finally received supplies of H1N1 vaccine and are rushing to inoculate their front-line staffs ---- those who have the most direct contact with patients.

Officials at Palomar Pomerado Health, Scripps Health and Tri-City Medical Center said they all received batches of the "swine flu" vaccine this week and have had employees rolling up sleeves for the last few days.

On Thursday morning at Pomerado Hospital in Poway, a steady stream of nurses, technicians and aides trickled through the hospital's new occupational health office for a quick stick on the way to or from work.

Registered nurse Sue Luster, who works on Pomerado's medical and surgical ward, said it has been a nervous time for her as news of ever-increasing numbers of deaths caused by the virus get publicity in the community.

"I have two grandchildren at home, so I have had to monitor myself pretty closely," Luster said. "We do have masks and other things to protect us while we're working, but getting the shot is definitely a relief."

Dr. Donald Herip, medical director of Palomar's Corporate Health Services Department, said the inland health system requested 5,000 doses of sought-after vaccine and received a 2,000-dose shipment on Monday.

"We have already administered about 1,000 doses in the first three days of offering it," Herip said.

An official at Tri-City reported that the hospital received 1,000 doses, and Scripps Health reported receiving 12,000 doses.

Don Stanziano, a spokesman for Scripps, said Thursday that doses will be split between high-risk staff and patients. That means vaccinations for workers in hospital emergency rooms, intensive-care units and laboratories, and for patients who are in high-risk categories, such as young children and pregnant women.

"The amounts we have are so limited, we are calling the patients in those groups and telling them we have vaccine for them," Stanziano said.

Dr. Herip of Palomar Pomerado said he is relieved to finally begin administering the slow-to-arrive vaccine. He noted that vaccinating front-line health care workers ---- those who work directly with sick patients daily ---- is one of the most critical steps in coping with the prevalence of H1N1. He noted that infected health care workers have the potential to infect patients whose immune systems are already depressed because of battles with other diseases such as cancer.

"With our front-line employees immunized, if it (swine flu) does make it into our hospital some way or other, it's going to hit a wall of immunity that will keep it from spreading," Herip said.

That wall does have one important gap. Hospital employees are not required to undergo influenza vaccination, and Herip said some have already declined. He noted that refusing the vaccine is nothing new at hospitals and said as many as 40 percent of hospital worker populations have declined normal seasonal flu shots in the past.

He said fears about the safety of vaccines persist, despite science to the contrary.

"For some people, all it takes is a family member to convince them that it's dangerous," Herip said.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta has said the H1N1 vaccine is as safe as seasonal flu vaccines, which have been administered to millions.

A state law passed in 2007 requires all acute-care hospitals to offer free vaccinations to all employees. Those who decline must sign a declination form that asks why. Local hospitals did not provide the total number of declinations for their work forces after an inquiry Thursday afternoon.

Call staff writer Paul Sisson at 760-901-4087.