There are 55,000 students in Winnebago County in need of the H1N1 flu vaccine. As county health officials strategize how to dole out the doses, they're also working to persuade parents that the soon-to-arrive vaccines are safe. Tuesday night, the health department spread its message in the Kinnikinnick School District.

"My kids' health means the most to me," says Roscoe mother Jennifer Burrus.

The H1N1 swine flu has many parents on edge over the health and safety of their children.

The Kinnikinnick school district is on high alert and spreading the word about good sanitation habits, since the school nurse says lots of kids are showing up in her office with flu symptoms.

But many parents are as worried about vaccinating their kids as they are about their children contracting the virus. Jennifer Burrus has two kids at Roscoe Middle School and both have asthma, putting them at greater risk for H1N1.

"I called my pediatrician, she recommends it, but my pulmonologist is not recommending it, he's letting us make the decision," says Burrus.

To vaccinate or not to vaccinate is a tough choice for Roscoe mom of five Laurie Chandler as well.

Chandler says, "We've really been on the fence about what to do. I think at this point we think it's the best to probably do it. I couldn't imagine losing a child. and then knowing that I maybe could have done something to prevent that."

Mike Bacon, Director of the Winnebago County Health Department, is urging parents to sign up for shots. He says even though the H1N1 vaccine is new, it's being manufactured by the same companies that make seasonal flu vaccine, in exactly the same way.

"And for decades we've been administering tens of millions of doses of that vaccine every year with a tremendous safety record, we don't anticipate that the safety profile of this new vaccine will be any different," says Bacon.

Bacon says the shots will start to come out in small quantities over the next several weeks and will initially be given to those most at risk, including pregnant women, people with health conditions and children. Bacon hopes it will be available for everyone by the holidays.

To date Bacon says there have been 65 confirmed cases of H1N1 flu in Winnebago County and one death. But he believes there are far more unconfirmed cases out there and he counsels anyone with flu-like symptoms to take the same precautions as if they had H1N1.