SEATTLE -- Despite a shortage of vaccine, King County opened four special H1N1 vaccination clinics Wednesday, specifically targeting vulnerable people and those who do not have health insurance.

H1N1 VACCINATION CLINICS Four Public Health H1N1 vaccination clinics will be operated at the following locations: White Center Public Health Center (10821 8th Ave SW, Seattle) Alder Square Public Health Center (1404 Central Ave S., Suites 101 & 112, Kent) North Public Health Center (10501 Meridian Ave N., Seattle) Federal Way Public Health Center (33431 13th Place S., Federal Way) All clinics will be open 8:30 a.m. – 5:30 p.m. on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Fridays and 8:30 a.m. - 7:00 p.m. on Thursday. All clinics are walk-up and appointments will not be needed or scheduled. Visit the Public Health H1N1 influenza Web site at kingcounty.gov/health/ for clinic directions. click here

The clinics are located in White Center, Alder Square in Kent, Federal Way and in North Seattle.

KIRO 7 was at the White Center Public Health Center and found dozens of people waiting up to two hours to get a swine flu vaccination.

Seattle-King County Health Department's Michael Loehr said there has been a delay in getting the vaccine from the federal government, so for now only the most at-risk people are getting vaccinated. They include health care workers, pregnant women, young adults and those with weakened immune systems.

"I have a compromised immune system because I have M.S," said Tate Anderson. "It could be crippling, I mean my nervous system could be affected by it."

King County was hoping to have a quarter-million doses of the H1N1 vaccine by now, but it's received less than a third of those, about 70,000 doses.

Pierce County has scheduled its first swine flu clinic this Saturday at Emerald Ridge High School in Puyallup. The clinic is aimed at children and young adults between two and 24 years of age. Most will get the nasal spray form of the vaccine, with a limited number of shots available for younger infants, pregnant women and kids with chronic medical conditions.

With King County targeting the chronically ill at first and Pierce County vaccinating mostly children and young adults on Saturday, the Washington State Department of Health said it’s not unusual for different groups to be the priority. They said it's up to local health departments to decide how best to distribute vaccines within their own communities, as long as they give to the high risk groups first.

Snohomish County is planning on nine clinics opening Oct. 31 and offering free vaccines to all those at risk of complications from the H1N1 virus.

There have been at least 17 swine flu related deaths in our state since the Washington Health Department began keeping track last April.

More community clinics will be established next month as the vaccine becomes more available.