SPRINGFIELD -- The first shipment of the H1N1 vaccine is now in Greene County.  It's arrived after months of national debate over who should get it first.   It's being called the largest public vaccination effort since polio in the 1950s.   Health officials will administer the first vaccination in Greene County on Tuesday.

Greene County officials now have 1,400 doses of the vaccine stored at a secure location.  Children, ages 2 to 18, and healthcare workers will be the first to receive the mist.

"We want them to call their pediatricians tomorrow if they're interested in it or after tomorrow. They will know if they have it," said Springfield-Greene County Health Department Director Kevin Gipson.

By next week, Gipson hopes to have the injectable vaccine on hand that's safe for pregnant women, as well as more supplies for  hospitals in Springfield, which have already requested 25,000 doses to cover their workers.

Matt Lyons has his master's degree in public health.  He said the cost of not getting the vaccine for his 2-year-old daughter, Reagan, greatly outweigh the risks.

"You're looking at a pandemic flu virus that shares the genetic makeup of the famous 1918 Spanish flu that killed millions worldwide, and I will not take that chance with my daughter," said Lyons.

"Anytime you have an effective, very sound vaccine, when you have a novel virus out there, I can't really think of any reason not to get it. I certainly am going to get it myself. I'm going to make sure my family has it," said Gipson.

The county has only had a few official cases of the H1N1 virus but they've stopped testing because it's become so common. That's why the Health Department expects these initial doses to go quickly.

"I hope by the end of the week most of it is gone," said Gipson.

Over all, Missouri is getting an initial shipment of about 34,000 doses.  An additional 70,000 doses are scheduled to arrive next week.

Greene County will administer its first vaccination at 10 a.m. Tuesday.

Follow Dave Catanese on TWITTER HERE.

Get more political news from the KY3 Political Notebook.