State workers receive H1N1 vaccine priority

HONOLULU (AP) - The state has given more than 7,000 state workers identified as critical personnel priority access to the swine flu vaccine. It's doing so to make sure the government continues to run operate smoothly even as the flu spreads.

The 7,174 employees account for about 14 percent of the state's 50,000 workers. The list includes workers in departments including taxation, health and transportation. They are in all three branches of government.

State Civil Defense spokesman Ray Lovell says the state doesn't want entire departments to shut down because key people are out with the flu.