MOULTRIE — Health departments throughout the region are running out of injectable H1N1 flu vaccine just as they planned to stay open later to dispense it.

A press release from Carolyn Masche of the Southwest Public Health District said the limited supply of the vaccine in the district’s 14 counties was nearly depleted Thursday afternoon. Many health departments in the district planned to stay open until 7:30 p.m. Thursday to administer vaccines to those in the priority groups most at risk of complications from H1N1, the release said.

A spokesperson for the Colquitt County Health Department said at 4:30 Thursday afternoon that the department was out of injectable vaccine, but about 30 doses were expected to arrive within the hour. People were already waiting to receive them, she said, so she didn’t know how long those 30 doses would last once they arrived.

The spokesperson said the department has “plenty of the nasal mist.”

H1N1 vaccine shipments are trickling in and are expected to remain in short supply, the public health district said. Masche advised anyone interested to call the local health department to find out if doses are available before going to get them.

Priority groups for the vaccine include pregnant women, household contacts and caregivers for children younger than 6 months, healthcare and emergency medical services personnnel, anyone from 6 months to 24 years of age, and people age 25 to 64 with health conditions associated with higher risk of complications from influenza.