It was the last thing Dr. Chris Urbina wanted to do. Demand for the H1N1 vaccine is way up, and he knew thousands, if not tens of thousands of people were likely to come to the vaccination clinics.

On Friday however, he knew he had no other choice. Denver Public Health simply didn't have anywhere near the supply of vaccine it needed to put on well over a dozen previously scheduled H1N1 vaccination clinics.

"Of course I'm disappointed," the Director of Denver Public Health said on Friday during a hastily called news conference. "We had hoped to give out tens of thousands of doses," he added.

The first of the clinics was to start at Denver Health Medical Center next week. Now, all but 2 clinics will be postponed. Seventeen others will have to be rescheduled once supply comes back up.

Denver Health reports it has received less than 30% of the H1N1 vaccine it ordered.

It's emblematic of the tight supply statewide. The Colorado Department of Public Health reported on Wednesday that it had received upwards of a quarter of a million doses. Yet, it remains clear the vaccine simply has yet to filter down to many doctors' offices.

On Friday, Dr. Nancy Germer, an OB/GYN with All About Women's Care in Englewood, said she and her colleagues have asked for patience with their own patients. "We have none in stock and we have been asking (for vaccine) twice a week for the last four to six weeks," she said.

The federal government has urged pregnant women to get vaccinated as soon as possible because of complications that have sometimes developed with other pregnant women who have become infected with the virus.

"We've already had to hospitalize 4 of our patients due to complications of H1N1," she said. "It would be nice to give the vaccine to the patients who need them in a timely manner. People are getting sick. So, yeah, that's very frustrating."

9News has talked to a number of doctors and other people at various hospitals and doctor's offices across the state over the last week. Many report they haven't even received enough H1N1 vaccine to fully vaccinate their own medical staff.

The federal government has urged all medical personnel to get vaccinated first as a way to help make sure there is adequate staff to deal with the higher-than-normal numbers of infected men, women and children.

This all comes at a time when the Director of the Centers for Disease Control is insisting that supplies are getting better. "H1N1 vaccine supply is increasing steadily," Dr. Thomas Frieden said on Friday.

Last week, the CDC had helped distribute 16.1 million doses nationwide. As of Friday, Dr. Frieden said the number had increased to 26.6 million. It still remains a far cry from the 100 million doses that had been forecasted by this time back during the summer.

"There is not enough for all providers or people who would want it," Dr. Frieden said. "This continues to be frustrating, but the gap between supply and demand is decreasing."

Part of the problem is that vaccine manufacturers are relying on 5-decade-old technology to make the vaccine. The H1N1 vaccine is made in much the same way the seasonal flu vaccine is. It takes months to manufacture millions of doses, and sometimes, as is the case now, the doses come in later than expected.

Supply alone is not the only issue that's developed in Colorado. Sometimes the nature of the supply itself has caused a few issues.

Many of Dr. Germer's patients are simply unable to take the nasal mist H1N1 vaccine because they are pregnant. The nasal mist, which appears to be a little more available in the state, is not appropriate for pregnant women. It contains a live virus, and while the CDC feels like it is completely safe for healthy people between the ages of 2 and 49, it should not be used on pregnant women. Dr. Germer, like many area OB/GYN's, has simply told her patients to call her office every so often to see if the shot form of the vaccine request has been filled.

She said on Friday she still has no idea when her office will get the vaccine. 9News has spoken to a number of doctors who have said that in many instances they are getting less than 24 hours notice that their request is on the way.

Denver Health still plans on holding two H1N1 clinics in the next few weeks. The first one will be on Sunday, November 8th, and the second one will be on Saturday, November 21st at Eastside and Westside Family Health Centers. Dr. Urbina said Denver Health will limit the vaccine to "pregnant women, children under the age of 18 and health care workers who show their health care photo ID's."

"It will be hundreds of doses, not the thousands of doses we anticipated," Dr. Urbina said. He said he has no idea when the 17 postponed clinics will be rescheduled. It all depends on supply.

The state has set up a Web site where you can find an H1N1 clinic: www.immunizecolorado.com/findafluclinic.asp.

If you have an H1N1 story to tell, please e-mail us at chris.vanderveen@9news.com.