Yale-New Haven Hospital's primary care center, for instance, received only 40 out of 100 requested doses of the flu vaccine in September, and is waiting for its requested October doses, according to hospital spokesman Rob Hutchison. The state has told Yale-New Haven to expect to receive about 66 percent of its 400 requested doses for the month.

The state program is called Vaccines for Children. The state's Department of Public Health runs it. It distributes vaccines in the form of nasal spray and regular shots to between 500 and 600 clinics across the state, according to Mick Bolduc who runs the program. The vaccines are for children whose families are on Medicaid or lack any insurance.

Last year the state distributed between 60,000 and 70,000 doses under the program. The delays in getting the clinics the doses this year stem from delays in distribution from the private companies that manufacture the vaccines, Sanofi-Pasteur and Novartis, Bolduc said.

Bolduc insisted the public has nothing to worry about. He called delays commonplace each year and no danger to public health. The state is advising clinics to use initial doses for patients with highest risk of developing complications from flu. "There will be plenty of flu vaccine," Bolduc said. He called it safe for most people in Connecticut to wait until December or January to get their shots.

Some clinic operators are concerned, though.

"We have received very few of our pediatric flu vaccines to date," reported Katrina Clark, who runs the Fair Haven Community Health Center. "We did just receive the flu vaccines which we order and pay for that we administer to adults last week -- but have a real shortfall so far with the pediatric ones from the state."

"We expected to have this in early October," said Hospital of St. Raphael spokesman Rick Scavetta. "We don't have any yet down in the pediatric clinic. Our staff has been notifying patients. They're very concerned about the high-risk kids" in the 0-59-month-old range. The clinic usually gets the vaccines by early October, Scavetta said.

Yale-New Haven's Rob Hutchison expressed less concern about the shipment delays. He said the hospital has been tapping its commercially purchased vaccines to cover the shortage.