MADISON — Responding to a state lawmaker's complaints about inmates receiving swine flu vaccine while other citizens wait, state Department of Corrections officials said most of the vaccine was going to staff, not inmates.

The DOC has received 900 doses of vaccine, but only 5 percent of that has gone to inmates, agency spokesman John Dipko said.

"The vast majority of the vaccine has been going to our staff," Dipko said. "We're not making the vaccine available to our general inmate population at this time."

Dipko was responding to complaints by state Rep. Brett Davis, R-Oregon, who said he was concerned after seeing a media report that some inmates at a women's prison near Fond du Lac had gotten the swine flu vaccine while members of the public were still waiting.

"No one wants to be inhumane," Davis said, "but there are pregnant women who have been law-abiding citizens who are having trouble getting the vaccine."

Because of a nationwide vaccine shortage, officials have recommended that people in high-risk groups get priority for inoculations. Those groups include pregnant women and health care workers.

The DOC administered vaccine to 45 high-risk inmates, including pregnant women at Taycheedah Correctional Institution, Dipko said.

At least 14 people in Wisconsin have died of swine flu or related diseases.

Prisoners may be criminals, but withholding vaccine from them would jeopardize not only their health but the health of correctional officers and their communities, said Christopher Ahmuty, executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union of Wisconsin.

"Prisoners are serving their debt to society, but being subjected to disease and death is not part of a just sentence in any civilized society," Ahmuty said.

Even so, when vaccine is scarce, the focus should be on protecting groups of "law-abiding citizens," including teachers who work in confined settings, Davis said.

"Hopefully, there'll be more vaccine made available and we can serve everybody," Davis said. "But if it doesn't happen, we'll have to continue to make tough decisions."