The Howard County Health Department is moving into the next phase of its H1N1 flu vaccine outreach -- and targeting specific populations that may not have gotten their shots.

This Sunday, the county will offer free shots to Asians and Pacific Islanders from the county and around the region.

The clinic will be held at Howard High School, 10910 Route 108 in Ellicott City, from 1 p.m.-5 p.m. There will be 1,000 doses offered on a first-come, first-served basis in shot and mist form.

Other communities will be targeted in future clinics. Officials say they may be hard to reach because of cultural or language barriers.

Health officials say that flu season doesn't end until May and there is still some H1N1 flu out there, though infections are on the decline.

According to federal statistics, 47 million Americans have gotten swine flu between April and November. There have been 200,000 hospitalitzations and 10,000 deaths.  

So far, almost all of the disease has been related to H1N1 flu, rather than seasonal flu. And while the infections are waning another big outbreak could still be coming, officials said.

Baltimore Sun file photo/Jed Kirschbaum