According to Business Health Affiliates Inc. owner Maureen Ludwig, the first person to receive a flu shot arrived the night before at 7 p.m. and spent the night at the senior center to ensure his dose of vaccine.

Los Gatos resident Martha Hood, who had tried two previous times to receive the vaccine—once at her doctor's office and once at the pharmacy—said she had been waiting in line since 7:35 a.m.

"I'm glad for my jacket," she said. "It feels mighty good."

But she said the wait was worth it. Receiving the vaccine was very important to her, she said, because she is prone to infection and had been diagnosed with cancer—now in remission—in 1992. Despite her lengthy stay in line, Hood said she was in good spirits and had already received a number guaranteeing her a dose of the vaccine.

"I've been praying about it," she said. "But with the number, I have been assured that we will get a shot."

As people waited in line, administrators from the Santa Clara County Public Health Department and Business Health Affiliates Inc. handed out affidavits for individuals to sign verifying that they met the necessary criteria. Once these forms were reviewed, those matching the requirements received a number.

Initially, Business Health Affiliates was going to provide 360 shots to people who came to the senior center. However, the company had surplus doses from the flu-shot distribution in Gilroy, bringing the available amount of doses up to 530. The Santa Clara County Public Health Department also received a shipment of approximately 500 doses, Ludwig said, which brought the total number of vaccines to more than 1,000.

The department staff planned to administer the vaccine throughout the afternoon, Ludwig said, and the center would try not to turn any eligible individual away.

With the extra doses, people who came well after 8 a.m., the designated starting time to administer the shots, were still able to receive a vaccine. San Jose resident Pat Jones arrived around 9:30 a.m., but said that an administrator assured her she would get a number. Jones had tried to get the shot from her primary care physician, but said her doctor did not receive a supply of the vaccine.

Although she arrived late, Jones said she was hopeful that she would be vaccinated.

But some flu-shot hopefuls expressed discouragement at both the length of the line and the difficulty they had experienced in securing a flu shot.

Santa Clara resident John Beckerman, who had arrived at the senior center around 8 a.m., said he was angry that the demand for flu shots exceeded the supply. Beckerman said he also tried to get the flu shot at his physician's office, but was told that the doctor had not received a shipment of the vaccine.

"I think this shortage is ridiculous," he said. "We live in one of the wealthiest countries in the world, and we still have to line up for a basic medical procedure. It's a travesty."

The senior center's supply of the now-precious commodity came from the county's public health department, which in turn received the supply from Business Health Affiliates Inc., a Bay Area­based, private corporation that performs corporate wellness programs in the Silicon Valley. Every year, the company provides corporations with flu vaccinations, which Business Health Affiliates Inc. owner Maureen Ludwig said they book in spring and administer in October.

Because the company ordered the vaccine from the pharmaceutical firm Aventis,it was able to receive a shipment, Ludwig said. But when Ludwig heard about the flu-shot shortage, the owner and nurse practitioner said she began contacting corporate clients to ask them to cancel their vaccination program or only give the shots to people who meet the high-risk criteria so Business Health Affiliates Inc. could provide the vaccination to the people who need it most. Then Business Health Affiliates Inc. partnered with the health department to administer the vaccinations at four locations in Santa Clara County.

"We wanted to stay in Santa Clara County because so much of our business occurs here," Ludwig said. "I thought that by giving the vaccine back to the community, it would benefit everyone."

The population eligible for the vaccine are individuals who: are 65 years of age or older; have a chronic disease such as diabetes, asthma, heart or kidney disease, severe anemia or a weakened immune system; are a resident of a nursing home or other long-term care facility; work as an out-of-home caregiver or healthcare worker in direct contact with patients; are pregnant from November to March; or are a primary caregiver of a high-risk infant age 6 months or younger.

But individuals who don't meet the proper criteria or who don't receive the vaccine can still take extra measures to protect themselves against infection, Teresa Chagoya, a spokeswoman for the county public health department, said. The best preventive step, she said, is frequent hand washing, especially after coughing or sneezing. Even if they don't think they are sick, people should make sure to cover their mouths while sneezing or coughing and keep their hands away from their mouths, eyes, and noses, she said. People who are especially concerned about becoming infected with the flu should also avoid areas with a high concentration of sick people. A healthy lifestyle, with a balanced diet and plenty of liquids and exercise, will also assist in boosting an individual's immune system and prevent sickness in the first place, she added.

Although Chagoya said the health department is taking the flu-shot shortage and a potential outbreak of the virus seriously, she also said that healthy adults have little cause for panic.

"For people who are healthy, they don't really need to worry," she said. "They might become sick, but they'll recover."