The swine flu outbreak is now a national emergency. President Obama made the declaration Saturday, sparking even more demand for the H1N1 vaccine.

But even the Health and Human Services secretary admits there aren't as many doses as expected right now.

That's led to long lines and even an arrest. One West Virginia mother was charged with stealing some vaccine while her children were being inoculated against H1N1.

"A vial of the H1N1 vaccination was found in her purse," said Cabell County, W.Va., Chief Deputy Sheriff Doug Ferguson.

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It's a measure of just how much fear and uncertainty the h1n1 virus has caused across the country. The Obama administration declared the swine flu outbreak a national disaster, on par with hurricanes and floods..

"This epidemic is continuing to progress and more people are going to emergency rooms, more people are going to hospitals, and, sadly, more people are dying," said Nicole Lurie, the Department of Health and Human Services assistant secretary for preparedness and response.

"This declaration really changes the playing fields for hospitals," said Dr. Richard Besser, the senior health and medical editor for ABC News. "They've been doing planning for disasters. Now they can implement those plans."

The emergency declaration allows the Department of Health and Human Services to waive some federal regulations for hospitals and clinics that may be overwhelmed with H1N1 patients.

"I think we'll see some institutions go out and set up satellite clinics," said Dr. William Schaffner, of Vanderbilt University

But the declaration won't do anything to speed up the production of the vaccine. Forty-six states are reporting H1N1 as widespread, with more than a thousand deaths and 20,000 hospitalizations. Thirty percent of those deaths are in healthy people with no underlying medical problems. Only one-fourth of the vaccine that had been expected is currently available.

"We've been in line for 5 hours today," said Campbell Nimick, a parent.

Health officials are asking people not to panic saying there should be enough vaccine for all Americans within the next few months.

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