MANKATO — The area’s first public vaccinations against the H1N1 flu were given out Saturday morning in a free clinic for children that began with a rush of vaccine seekers but quickly gave way to a steady trickle.

There were more than 100 vaccines given out in the first 30 minutes, but only 50 more in the final four and a half hours.

The vaccine for the H1N1 virus, also known as swine flu, was given to children six months through four years old with pre-existing health conditions. These patients are among the first groups recommended to receive the vaccine.

There were 550 doses available and an estimated 900 children who fit these criteria served by the two dozen or so Mankato Clinic and Mayo Health System locations in the area.

Health care workers, another high-priority group, have already been vaccinated.

Children under the age of 10 getting the H1N1 vaccination will require a second shot at least 28 days after the first shot. Children under 9 require two shots for the seasonal flu vaccine as well.

Saturday’s vaccinations at Immanuel St. Joseph’s Hospital Specialty Clinic in Mankato went off without any major problems, said Kevin Burns, chief communications officer at ISJ.

By 9:45 a.m., 15 minutes before the clinic was supposed to open, there were more than 100 people in line. So officials decided to start early.

By 10:05 a.m. they said the line was gone and people were being screened as they came in.

There were also no adverse reactions reported from the shots themselves, said Yvette Burk, a nurse at ISJ-NorthRidge who helped coordinate the clinic.

Burns said the smooth vaccinations were a result of years of planning among local counties, emergency planners and health care providers. The vaccines were delivered Monday and the hospital received more information about how to deliver them Wednesday.

The vaccine was free, a requirement of the federal government. Local health providers can charge overhead fees for the work to distribute it, but ISJ opted not to levy a charge.

They used only about a quarter of the available supply Saturday and are making plans to distribute the rest to other high-risk groups. These are: pregnant women, people who live with or care for infants or young children, anyone from six months through 24 years of age and any adult younger than 64 with a chronic medical condition or weakened immune system.

It’s not at all clear when any local public health agencies will receive more vaccine, either for the swine flu or the seasonal flu.

“There will be enough for everybody,” Burns said.

Parents said they decided to vaccinate their children because they wanted to keep their kids safe.

Jenni and Colby Schmidt, of Le Sueur, said they heard about the debate surrounding the vaccine. Health care professionals stress the swine flu vaccine is made by the same companies and with the same methods as regular flu vaccines but that hasn’t ended debate on the vaccine’s safety.

But the Schmidts decided to vaccinate 2-year-old Brooklyn because they wanted to do everything they could to protect her. The girl is already hit hard every winter by the cold and her parents worried that her respiratory vulnerabilities would make swine flu even worse.