AUSTIN (October 29, 2009)-State health officials now say Texas prisoners are not a priority to get swine flu vaccine and will not be vaccinated ahead of the general public.

Reports surfaced Tuesday that the Texas Department of Criminal Justice and the Texas Department of State Health Services had worked with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to begin vaccinating more than 45,000 prisoners and more than 40,000 correctional officers and prison medical workers.

The DSHS said in a statement Wednesday however that Texas has not allocated any H1N1 vaccine to the state prison system yet.

Rather, the state will continue targeting priority groups most at risk, such as pregnant women.

Wednesday’s statement indicated there were health care providers who serve pregnant women in prisons and were requesting the vaccine, but it was unclear when state would fill those orders "given the limited national supply of the vaccine."

Texas prison officials previously said the system has asked for more than 158,000 doses of swine flu vaccine to inoculate inmates.

Federal health authorities so far have allocated less than 1.7 million doses to Texas.

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AP Reports contributed to this story

How Is It Transmitted?
People cannot get swine influenza from eating pork or pork products. Most influenza viruses, including the swine flu virus, are not spread by food. Eating properly handled and cooked pork products is safe. No food safety issues have been identified, related to the flu. Preliminary investigations have determined that none of the people infected with the flu had contact with hogs. The virus is spreading by human-to-human transmission.

Swine Flu Symptoms
Symptoms of swine flu are similar to those of seasonal flu and include:

Fever
Fatigue
Lack of appetite
Coughing
Runny nose
Sore throat
Nausea
Vomiting
Diarrhea

What To Do If You Get Sick
If you are sick, you should stay home and avoid contact with other people as much as possible to keep from spreading your illness to others. If you become ill and experience any of the following warning signs, seek emergency medical care.

In children emergency warning signs that need urgent medical attention include:
Fast breathing or trouble breathing
Bluish skin color
Not drinking enough fluids
Not waking up or not interacting
Being so irritable that the child does not want to be held
Flu-like symptoms improve but then return with fever and worse cough
Fever with a rash

In adults, emergency warning signs that need urgent medical attention include:
Difficulty breathing or shortness of breath
Pain or pressure in the chest or abdomen
Sudden dizziness
Confusion
Severe or persistent vomiting
(CDC)

Steps You Can Take To Stay Healthy
Cover your nose and mouth with a tissue when you cough or sneeze
Throw the tissue in the trash after you use it
Wash your hands often with soap and water, especially after you cough or sneeze
Alcohol-based hands cleaners are also effective
Avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth. Germs spread that way
Try to avoid close contact with sick people.
If you get sick with influenza, CDC recommends that you stay home from work or school and limit contact with others to keep from infecting them
(CDC)

World Health Organization Human Swine Influenza Site

CDC Human Swine Flu Investigation Site