Thanks to all of you who chimed in on No shot at a shot: When you can't get the flu vaccine I see I am not the only furious parent out there.

I especially appreciated the comments from the medical professionals who were as angry and frustrated as I was. They are having a pretty miserable time too.

A quick update on my own saga, our local public health department saved the day. On Friday, the town of Natick got some H1N1 nose drops designated for preschoolers, ages 2-5, without asthma or underlying health conditions.

I pursued two spots in the swine flu clinic with the passion I would have generally reserved for acquiring tickets to an Eric Clapton/Sting/Peter Gabriel/Steve Winwood reunion concert. I called, emailed and briefly considered camping out at town hall before the health office opened.

Good news -- they had room for us and a number of other families from our daycare center. It's only half of the dose (the other half comes a month later, if available) and because it's a live virus, the kids can't get a seasonal flu mist until well into January (if I can lay my hands on any, that is.)

It wasn't full protection by any means, but it was something, and I was grateful for it.

For a moment afterwards, as I swiped at their noses with a tissue, I was all warm and tingly with the lovely feeling of being a have rather than a have-not, smug with the relief of We Got Ours.

Then, I felt deeply ashamed. What about the kids who couldn't get a spot? The kids who were too old or too young? The parents who didn't know about the clinic? The moms who didn't have the time to make a bunch of harried cell phone calls? The dads who couldn't leave work to collect their kids and herd them into town hall? What about them?

Just 24 hours earlier I was one of them, I reminded myself.

The shortage remains intolerable, and is making us all act badly, pitting parent against parent and patient against doctor.

So who is at fault here? I guess it's a bad combination of vaccine shortages, bad communication and parental hysteria and impatience.

Personally, I still think local pediatricians should do more because, like it or not, they are the front lines in this mess.

Even small things would help: Have a running list list of local health departments and other vaccine sources that patients could be calling and daily updates about when they expect news. This is even a great chance for doctors to do a little blog, reassuring parents or even just offering the same old hand-washing tips.

Yes, I can hear the answer from the overwhelmed pedi community already -- we're WAY too busy for all that. We don't have the staff. We have really sick kids to take care of. Be patient. Check our website.

But too busy to communicate with your patients when the world seems a particularly dangerous place? Find some time. Please.

Have you had trouble getting the seasonal or H1N1 vaccine for your child? What do you think of the vaccine shortage situation, and how it is being handled? Leave a comment, or email me at enoonan@globe.com

(Photo of Sting. He doesn't have the flu, or a reunion concert planned, as far as I know.)