The Flathead City-County Health Department and North Valley Hospital have scheduled a free H1N1 influenza vaccine clinic for children from 3 to 7 p.m. Tuesday at Mountain Mall in Whitefish.

Available for 2- to19-year-olds, the clinic has 600 doses of live virus nasal spray and a limited supply of injectable vaccine.

The injections are reserved for children with medical conditions that prohibit them from using nasal spray or those who received a seasonal-flu nasal spray within the last four weeks.

Joe Russell, county health officer, said school-aged children were deemed a priority due to their high incidence of flu reflected by increased absentee rates in schools in the county.

"Other than good hygienic practices, vaccination is the only effective way of reducing the incidence of influenza for those attending school," Russell said.

The health department requires a signed consent form from parents or guardians who cannot accompany their children to the clinic. Children must come with a responsible adult with knowledge of their medical history and a parent or guardian must remain available by phone for a nurse consultation while the child is at the clinic.

Consent forms are available at www.flatheadhealth.org.

Children not eligible for live virus nasal spray include:

n Those who have received nasal spray or other live vaccine including MMR vaccination within the past four weeks.

n Those with allergies to eggs.

n Children who are immune-compromised or have chronic health problems such as heart or lung disease, asthma, kidney or liver disease, metabolic diseases such as diabetes or anemia and other blood disorders.

n Children with certain muscle or nerve disorders such as cerebral palsy.

n Children in close contact with a person with a severely weakened immune system.

n Children on long-term aspirin treatment.

For additional information, call the flu hotline at 751-8188 or check the Web site listed above.