The University of Nevada, Las Vegas received “a few hundred” doses of the swine flu vaccine Thursday and at least one Las Vegas gaming company has asked the Nevada State Health Division about acquiring the vaccine for its at-risk employees.

“Harrah’s Entertainment’s Employee Health and Wellness Center is in contact with the Southern Nevada Health District regarding H1N1,” Harrah’s spokeswoman Jacqueline Peterson said Thursday. “We have requested vaccinations for our employees and will follow the CDC’s guidelines for distribution within our employee and dependent population.”

Harrah’s said its private health provider has asked health department officials in all the jurisdictions it operates in about obtaining vaccine for its eligible employees and dependents.

Because of the scarcity of the vaccine, health officials are restricting the vaccine to at-risk groups right now. Priority groups that should be receiving vaccinations now include women who are pregnant, caregivers of children under 6 months, people 6 months to 24 years old, and people 25 to 64 years old with chronic medical issues such as diabetes, asthma and obesity. Federal guidelines allow businesses with on-site medical faciities to request doses of the vaccine for their employees.

Additionally, a doctor with the medical facility must have filed an anti-viral request form with the state seeking approval to receive and distribute the vaccine, a spokesperson with the Nevada Health Division said.

Harrah’s runs a 20,000-square-foot center employee medical center on Flamingo Road that is operated by a private medical company.

State Health Division spokeswoman Martha Framstedl said she could not say if Harrah’s medical facility had filed a request with the state.

Framsted also could not say Thursday how many Las Vegas business that have onsite medical staff have inquired about receiving doses of the vaccine, if any.

Other large casino companies contacted Thursday either did not return inquiries by deadline or said they would not be eligible under the guidelines.

The University of Nevada, Las Vegas, however, did receive a “few hundred” doses of the vaccine and FluMist on Thursday afternoon and will UNLV spokeswoman Afsha Bawany said the university received some of the vaccine and FluMist and will administer shots to eligible students at its Student Health Center.

“That will be distributed only to high-priority groups,” Bawany said.

She did know when the doses will be distributed.

The government-funded vaccine is being distributed to states, where health departments can decide where to send the limited doses. In states such as New York, health officials are allowing businesses with onsite medical staff to apply for the vaccine.

Doctors with large companies and colleges can ask for the vaccine but must adhere to vaccinating only people at-risk, Framsted said.

Contact reporter Arnold M. Knightly at aknightly@reviewjournal.com or 702-477-3893.