Dr. Robert Maguire received his H1N1 vaccine at Ottawa Regional Hospital last week and encourages others to be vaccinated as well.

"In the past, (H1N1) has caused serious epidemics," Maguire, who works at Ottawa Medical Center and also has privileges at Ottawa Regional. "It has a higher death rate. No one is quite sure why that is, but it's surprising and alarming."

Maguire was one of many health care workers to receive the vaccine, since they are considered high-priority. A vaccine clinic for priority groups is today from 3 to 7 p.m. at Illinois Valley Community College, 815 N. Orlando Smith Ave., Oglesby.

The La Salle County Health Department recommends the vaccine to the following priority groups: pregnant women, anyone who cares for children younger than 6 months of age, young people between the age of 6 months and 24 years of age, people younger than 64 years of age with chronic medical conditions such as asthma, diabetes or heart disease, and health care workers.

"H1N1 targets younger people up to middle age," Maguire said. "It doesn't hit the elderly as hard as seasonal flu."

The vaccine is safe, Maguire said, and has been studied to be found effective in reducing a person's chance of getting H1N1 and will result in a more mild case if the person does get it.

Dr. Amit Garg, family physician at St. Mary's Health Care Ottawa, said the safety of the vaccine is a question he often hears from patients, in addition to side effects and how to treat it. The most common side effects following flu vaccinations are mild, such as soreness, redness, tenderness or swelling where the shot was given.

Garg said it should take about seven or eight days for a body to be immunized. For children, who need two doses, it will take until a week after the second dose — approximately five weeks from the first.

The seasonal flu vaccine does not protect against H1N1. People should also still receive their usual annual flu shot, particularly those in high-risk groups: the elderly, the very young and those with underlying health conditions. In fact, based on reported cases so far, young children are more susceptible to the seasonal flu than to swine flu, so it's important to stay up to date on vaccinations, Garg said.

While priority groups are the first to be vaccinated, ideally, the goal would be to vaccinate everyone who does not have contraindications for the vaccine.