Kennedy Joplin's roar was deafening – perhaps excruciating for her father, Steven Joplin.

The 2-year-old squirmed and wailed on Thursday as a nurse sprayed into her nostrils one of the Sacramento region's first doses of the H1N1 vaccine.

"It hurts me, too. I don't like seeing daddy's little princess cry," said Joplin, a soldier based in Fairbanks, Alaska, doing his fatherly duties before returning to his military duties. "She spends a lot of time with other kids in child care, and with flu season coming, better safe than sorry."

Kennedy quickly learned there was actually little pain, and her sobs were soothed by a lollipop.

At the Effort's Oak Park Clinic, a handful of parents were among the first to have their children vaccinated against the H1N1 strain of influenza.

Public health officials across the state have been urging parents to vaccinate children as soon as possible for the novel H1N1 flu strain, which has emerged as a global public health threat.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said the H1N1 virus is now widespread in at least 37 states, including California.

Since April, when the first cases of so-called swine flu were reported, there have been 3,051 recorded cases and 219 deaths attributed to the virus in California.

Public health officials expect the vaccine to be available to the general public in less than a month.

As of Monday, about 10 million doses of both forms of the vaccine were available to be ordered nationwide.

Sacramento County plans to hold mass H1N1 vaccination clinics in November, after finishing the seasonal flu vaccine clinics, said Dr. Glennah Trochet, Sacramento County's public health officer.

H1N1 vaccines continued arriving at clinics across the state this week, as health officials girded for an expected outbreak of the new flu virus. The first wave of doses will be given to the most vulnerable of the population – young children and pregnant women.

The Effort's Oak Park Clinic had an order of about 50 doses of a nasal spray intended for children between 2 and 9 years old and adults in close contact with infants under 6 months.

More of the vaccine is expected to arrive at the clinic in the next few weeks, said Diane Oran, the clinic manager. The clinic ordered 3,000 doses of the vaccine that will be administered through shots and 700 through nasal sprays, said Diane Oran. She urged parents to vaccinate children: "They are really putting them at risk. It's smart to prevent illness in your child."

In Sacramento County, public health officials expect to distribute 10,000 of the nasal sprays to area clinics and health care providers, as part of its allotment from the state.

The state distributed 350,000 doses of the vaccine this week, 150,000 of the spray variety intended for children – in addition to the 400 doses distributed last week, said Ken August, spokesman for the state Department of Public Health. In all, the state expects to distribute more than 22 million doses of the vaccine in the coming months.

The most vulnerable populations will have priority for the initial wave of doses, according to county officials.

Keith Miles of Curtis Park brought his son Carter, 5, for his vaccination.

Carter knew what to expect: "They spray into your nose," he said. He already knows the routine when flu season hits. Usually, it's a shot to the arm.

His mother lost a lung to an infection, and the family doesn't want to take any chances. "We have to make sure we all stay healthy," said the boy's father.

Rudy Lopez, 12, didn't meet the criteria for the H1N1 vaccine – the first doses are reserved for children between 2 and 9 – so he got one for the seasonal flu, an important vaccine that shouldn't be overlooked. He'll get his turn for the H1N1 vaccine in the coming weeks, when more of the drug becomes available.

Call The Bee's Bobby Caina Calvan, (916) 321-1067. Staff writer Anna Tong contributed to this report.