Vaccinations against H1N1 swine flu in Miami-Dade and Broward counties will start slowly in public schools on Monday, then pick up speed, becoming available to pregnant women and other high-priority groups as new supplies arrive. People outside the priority groups probably will have to wait until late November for vaccinations.

Even vaccinations for priority groups may be slower than planned. Federal officials on Friday said that because of manufacturing and testing delays, the vaccine supply for the whole nation by the end of October may be only 30 million shots -- not the 40 million promised earlier.

``People will have to be patient, but before the flu season is over, there will be a chance for everyone who wants a vaccination to be vaccinated,'' Dr. Paula Thaqi, director of the Broward County Health Department, said at a joint news conference Friday with officials of other local health departments to announce vaccination plans. The flu season ends April 1.

For Monday, Miami-Dade has 17,800 doses of FluMist nasal spray and 10,700 doses of injectable vaccine for 419 schools with 345,000 students. Broward has 23,000 doses of FluMist and 12,100 doses of injection vaccine for 213 schools and 250,000 students.

Officials said parents of children who will be offered the vaccine on Monday have been notified and asked to sign permission slips. Vaccinations are voluntary.

The CDC announced the vaccine delay in a noon briefing for reporters.

``This will impact states and when they can offer vaccinations,'' said Dr. Anne Schuchat, director of the CDC's National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases. ``They may have to reschedule some clinics.''

Miami-Dade on Friday posted a list of shot-giving clinics on its website at dadehealth.org. But William Rivera, director of the Miami-Dade Public Health Department, said the shots won't be available to the general public at those clinics until all priority groups are served. Broward has not posted such a list. New sites in both counties will be announced as they open.

PRIORITIES

Priority groups, in no particular order, include pregnant women; caretakers of infants under 6 months of age; young people 2 to 24; people 25 to 64 who have chronic conditions such as asthma, diabetes or suppressed immune systems, and healthcare workers, emergency personnel and other first responders who might come in direct contact with flu victims.

People over 65 are at low priority for swine flu vaccines. Health officials believe they have some immunity to the H1N1 virus based on long-past exposure to similar flu strains. And a new study released Friday backs up that idea.

A researcher at University of California's Davis campus said the swine flu virus has parts found in earlier flu strains, and some people past age 60, who may have been exposed to similar viruses in their youth, may have some latent immune cells that protect them.

The study was published in the current issue of the journal Emerging Infectious Diseases, which is published by the CDC. As supplies increase, more vaccination sites will open to serve the public, Thaqi and Rivera said. Vaccinations will be given at schools, universities, colleges, public clinics and doctor's offices. The Florida Department of Health still is negotiating with retail chain pharmacies about giving the vaccinations.

Vaccinations in public schools and public clinics are free, paid for by the federal government. Doctors and commercial pharmacies may add a small administration fee that has not been determined.

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