Texas Convicts Could Get H1N1 Vaccine First

Prison officials in Texas said they need 158,000 doses of the H1N1 vaccine to protect inmates and corrections officers, according to the Austin American-Statesman.

And the prisoners could get the swine flu shots before the general public, the newspaper said.

Prison officials in the story said giving the vaccine to inmates first would follow guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on which people should receive priority when supplies of the vaccine are scarce.

"We have a number of the high-risk groups in prisons: pregnant women, people with immune deficiencies, with other serious health issues," said Michelle Lyons, spokeswoman for the Texas Department of Criminal Justice. "In some respects, we're like a nursing home or a college dorm. If the flu were to get started in this environment, it could spread quickly."