For months the question has been whether we could gear up production of vaccine for the H1N1 flu virus -- formerly swine flu -- fast enough. Now that the first doses have reached some distribution centers this week, we have the answer to that question.

This answer leads to the next question that we all have to face. Should we get the vaccine?

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, or CDC, says that people "at increased risk of severe illness" most need the H1N1 vaccine. One of these groups includes people with diabetes.

This makes sense. Those of us who have diabetes can get very sick and may even have to go to a hospital. Our impaired immune system makes us more vulnerable to getting a bad case of the flu.

Just getting sick can raise our blood glucose level. Then, it can stop us from eating right, and that further affects our blood glucose.

In addition, most people who have diabetes are overweight. And weight itself can be part of the problem. People who have a body mass index of 40 or more -- and maybe even those whose BMI is more than 30 -- "may be at increased risk of hospitalization and death due to 2009 H1N1 influenza infection," the CDC says.

Strangely, however, the age group with the highest incidence of diabetes has the lowest priority in getting a flu shot. That's because people who are 65 and up are less likely to become ill from the H1N1 than younger persons. Nobody knows why, but my guess is that older people may have antibodies in their system from somewhat similar flu exposure years ago.

That does not mean that senior citizens should pass up the opportunity to get an H1N1 flu shot as soon as their priority comes up. "When persons aged 65 years or older acquire influenza, they are at higher risk for severe influenza-related complications," the CDC says.

However, more people are worried about having their children get the H1N1 flu vaccine. A new poll by the Associated Press-GfK found that 38 percent of parents were unlikely to give permission for schools to vaccinate their kids. The poll found that 72 percent are worried about side effects.

Much of this concern is undoubtedly about the preservative thimerosal, a form of mercury. We all know that too much mercury is dangerous. That's why, for example, that we shouldn't eat fish more than twice a week.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration in the past eight years hasn't licensed any new vaccine for use in children younger than six that contains more than a trace of thimerosal. With one exception -- multi-dose formulations of flu vaccines.

Last year I wrote about the thimerosal controversy as it related to the regulwrotear seasonal flu vaccine. This year the Internet is loaded with even more rumors about the supposed dangers of thimerosal in general and the H1N1 vaccine in particular. I'm already getting scary emails about the supposed risks of this vaccine. As someone who appreciates the entertainment value of these "urban legends" I check them out at snopes.com, which does an outstanding job of debunking these counterproductive rumors.