BLOOMINGTON -- More H1N1 influenza vaccination clinics have been scheduled as the state and insurers take steps to ensure that people will not pay for getting vaccinated against the novel virus.

The Illinois Department of Insurance announced Tuesday that Illinois' larger private health insurers and health maintenance organizations have agreed to cover the administrative costs of dispensing the vaccine.

Aetna, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Illinois, CIGNA, Health Alliance, Humana, PersonalCare, Unicare and UnitedHealthcare will cover administrative costs for their policyholders. The cost of the vaccine is being paid by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

The department suggested all policyholders call their insurance company, insurance agent or employer to find whether getting vaccinated is a covered benefit.

Central Illinois clinic information

Meanwhile, Woodford County Health Department and DeWitt/Piatt Bi-County Health Department have announced H1N1 flu shot clinics for pregnant women, household contacts and caregivers of infants younger than 6 months old, health care and emergency medical services personnel, children and young people ages 6 months through 24 years old, and people 25 through 64 with a health condition associated with a higher risk of influenza complications.

The Woodford clinic will be from 9 a.m. to noon Saturday at the health department in Eureka. The DeWitt/Piatt department has scheduled several clinics, by appointment only, at its offices in Clinton. For more information or to make reservations, call 217-935-3427.

The Tazewell County Health Department has suspended its H1N1 flu shot clinic scheduled for Thursday at Lincoln School in East Peoria but still plans to conduct a clinic from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday at the health department in Tremont, spokeswoman Sara Sparkman said.

The LaSalle County Health Department's clinic will be from 3 to 7 p.m. Monday at its Etna Road center in Ottawa.

The McLean County Health Department previously announced its second walk-in H1N1 flu shot clinic from noon to 6 p.m. Thursday at The Interstate Center, 2301 W. Market St., Bloomington. People are asked to bring photo identification verifying their McLean County residency.

Jan Morris, health department spokeswoman, said the county has had 25 confirmed cases of H1N1. One of those patients - a 56-year-old woman - died Thursday. Seventeen patients have been between the ages of 6 and 64.

The department has begun posting basic information on confirmed H1N1 cases at www.mcleancountyil.gov/Health/.

Confirmed cases represent a small portion of people who have had H1N1. Confirmed cases are people who have been hospitalized and had a test confirming that they have the virus.