“Women and children first.”

That call has been intended since the mid-1800s to place chivalry above personal safety during rescue attempts.

The cry is best known as the procedure used in getting Titanic survivors on lifeboats: 74 percent of the woman onboard were saved as were 52 percent of the children, yet only 20 percent of the men survived.

Nowadays, the call seems to be “First come, first served.”

Such is the protocol being used at Wednesday’s H1N1 drive-through clinic at 5 p.m. at Hoosier Park. A second drive-through clinic is set for 6 p.m. Nov. 12 at the Madison County 4-H Fairgrounds in Alexandria. The vaccinations will be free, although participants will have to sign consent forms.

The eligible group for vaccination includes pregnant women; health and day-care workers; young adults under 24, and individuals 25 years and older with pre-existing, chronic medical conditions. Generally, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention also includes in that list the caregivers of infants less than six months old.

When vaccines are limited and public safety is at risk, a line certainly has to be drawn in administering H1N1 shots.

Madison County health officials are making a proper attempt in setting priorities. But like a “woman and children first” appeal, guidelines must be followed.

At the time of the announcement of the drive-through, Madison County was hoping to receive 20,000 doses of the H1N1 flu vaccine by now, instead it has received about 7,700 doses.

But a “first come, first treated” approach may cause long drive-through lines and, possibly, frustration among those most needing the vaccine. It just won’t seem fair if a healthy 50-year-old man gets the last shot over someone who takes care of infants.

Pandemic pandemonium probably won’t mar the Hoosier Park drive-through. Madison County residents will respond with understanding if the vaccine supplies run out. However, the health department should post its guidelines at the drive-through and limit vaccines to those in priority risk groups: “Women, children, caregivers, health care workers, emergency workers and those with chronic medical conditions first.” Others will have to wait until those are served.