Public concern with the H1N1 virus has prompted “unprecedented” demand for all kinds of flu vaccinations, according to officials with the local health department.

Since late last week, health officials have given out about 1,400 seasonal flu (different from H1N1) vaccinations, Delaware Area Health District spokesman Jesse Carter said.

This is compared to about 2,800 last year, about half the amount of flu shots officials administered all last year. The high numbers are especially notable because flu season does not usually hit its peak until February or so.

“We’re off to an absolutely huge start here,” Carter said.

Increased demand for seasonal flu shots seems to have been triggered by mounting concern over the H1N1 flu virus, particularly over the death of a young student in Franklin County last month, Carter said.

About 4,700 people have registered for the H1N1 flu vaccine, which hasn’t come in from the Ohio Department of Health yet. Carter said the health district doesn’t know if the amount of vaccines they ultimately get will meet demand.

“We certainly hope to be able to,” he said.

H1N1 vaccinations are not yet available to Delaware County residents, but the health district will announce its schedule for free H1N1 clinics sometime next week.

In the meantime, the health district has hired additional part-time aids to help field the hundreds of calls the office receive every day. The health district has also contracted with HelpLine, a local 211 service provider to help disseminate H1N1 information, Carter said.

Delaware County has received 600 H1N1 vaccines to administer to emergency medical technicians, firefighters and other first responders. Emergency workers are considered highest priority for the vaccine because they deal directly with sick people on a daily basis, officials said.

Shots began yesterday and will continue for the next two days. Delaware County EMS Chief Rob Farmer said the shots were voluntary, but he recommended all his employees receive them.

Keeping EMS workers healthy will allow them to better serve the community, he said.

Last week, county health officials reported two additional confirmed H1N1 cases — a 24-year-old pregnant female and a 14-year-old male — bringing the total confirmed positive cases to 11 throughout Delaware County. Four people were also hospitalized with influenza, officials said.

Concern about the flu led Delaware County to temporarily relax its sick-day policy earlier this week, a move which health officials praised. Until April, county employees under the commissioners office will no longer need to bring a doctor’s note in certain instances if they report a flu-like illness. This will make it less likely that sick employees will report to work and spread the illness, county officials said.

The health district’s scheduled seasonal flu immunization clinics continues, as long as flu vaccine supplies last. Clinics will be held: from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Thursday at the Scioto Township Hall, 3737 Ostrander Road, Ostrander; and from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Friday at Genoa Baptist Church on Lewis Center Road at Ohio 3 between Sunbury and Westerville. These and subsequent clinics will be conducted if vaccine remains available.

atobias@delgazette.com