Federal and state health officials are warning residents to beware of online swine flu scams that have been circulating the Internet.

Today, officials warned about a particular fraudulent e-mail referencing a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention-sponsored H1N1 vaccine program that doesn't exist.

That program, the e-mail said, tells residents to create a personal H1N1 vaccination profile on the CDC's Web site at www.cdc.gov. These e-mails are scams that attempt to obtain individuals' personal information. The state and CDC are advising anyone who receives the e-mails to ignore and delete them. It also warns opening the e-mails could lead to malware being installed on the recipient's computer.

For more information, visit www.cdc.gov/hoaxes_rumors.html.

Health departments inching closer to getting vaccine out to general public, state says

The H1N1 flu vaccine may become available to the general population before the end of the year, but only if local health departments determine those in high-risk populations have had an adequate chance to get vaccinated, the state said today.

Earlier this week, the state health department announced every county health deparment in Michigan would begin offering the vaccine to the five priority groups originally identified by the CDC. Those groups include:

• Caregivers of children younger than 6 months.

• Children 6 months through 24 years old.

• Those ages 25 through 64 who have underlying health conditions that put them at greater risk of flu complications.

• Pregnant women.

• Health care workers involved directly in patient care.

Some health departments, including Washtenaw County, narrowed the groups it originally allowed to become vaccinated earlier this season but later opened up vaccination to these priority groups.

County officials have said they can't predict how soon they'll be able to make the vaccine available to the general public. But they did say more vaccine is beginning to roll into the county and out to health care providers.

Once they feel those in the priority groups have had an adequate chance to get vaccinated, they plan to hold smaller walk-in clinics for the public.

The county's next mass vaccination for the H1N1 flu virus is to be held on Saturday in Manchester.

U.S. to evaluate its public health response system in light of H1N1 pandemic response

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services is planning a major review of its efforts and shortcomings in responding to the H1N1 flu pandemic that emerged earlier - and the technology that helps the government respond to national health threats.

This week, HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius said the H1N1 vaccine shortage highlighted the nation's dependence on antiquated technology, it was reported in the Washington Post.