Minnesota health officials today recommended that the state’s health care providers start offering swine flu vaccine to an expanded group of residents, and nearly all of those people are eligible to receive doses of the vaccine at today's free clinic in Winona.

    The only exception – Winona County does not have doses of the vaccine at today’s clinic for children under 4 years old, said community health director Lynn Theuer.

   The groups that can receive the vaccine in Winona today are:

- Children ages 4 years to 24 years old, with or without a health condition that puts them at higher risk of medical complications from influenza.

- People ages 25 years to 64 years old with a chronic medical condition that puts them at higher risk of medical complications from influenza.

- Pregnant women.

- All health care providers or emergency medical services personnel.

- People living with or caring for children under 6 months of age.

   The Winona County clinic will be held from 3 to 6:30 p.m. today at Winona County Community Health Services, 60 W. Third St.

   Vaccines, mainly in the form of the flu mist, will be available until supplies run out, Theuer said. People allergic to eggs or the seasonal influenza vaccine should not receive the H1N1 vaccine.

   Limited amounts of swine flu vaccine statewide had prompted health officials, prior to today’s announcement, to restrict the vaccine to those facing the highest risk from H1N1 influenza, a Minnesota Department of Health press release states. That group includes nearly 720,000 residents – primarily children under 5 years of age, older children with underlying health problems, pregnant women and certain health care workers, it states.