Police Called When Crowd Of 600 Gets Unruly Waiting For Flu Shots

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. -Police were called when a crowd of 600 people got unruly after gathering at a St. Petersburg supermarket for hoped-for flu shots. Less than 300 doses were on hand. Store managers called police after people started screaming and hollering for tickets for the shots. Two officers and a sergeant helped restore calm. Some people spent the night in sleeping bags to be near the front of the line. Elderly men and women waited in wheelchairs and leaned on walkers. Some brought lawn chairs and umbrellas. The nation's suddenly limited supply of flu vaccine is going fast. The rush for shots has become political fodder. Democratic Senate candidate Betty Castor talked with people waiting for shots at a Tampa supermarket. She said government is not doing its job. A new ad from John Kerry's campaign blames President George W. Bush for ignoring warnings about shortages three years ago.

(AP article here)