LEWISTON – Patients of physicians associated with St. Mary’s Regional Medical Center should contact their doctors’ offices directly to arrange for flu shots.

Kayt DeMerchant, the hospital’s community relations director, said Tuesday that flu vaccine left over from Saturday’s countywide adult clinics is being distributed to those physicians’ practices.

She said logistics would prevent the doctors from contacting patients.

“We estimated that there are 34,000 patients in the county who would qualify” for flu shots by meeting criteria set by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, she said.

Patients who believe they meet the criteria and who want a flu shot may call their doctors’ offices directly, DeMerchant said. Each physician will then confirm whether the patient meets the standards and arrange for an appointment.

Chuck Gill, a spokesman for Central Maine Medical Center, said Monday that the hospital’s supply of vaccine would be sent to doctors’ offices affiliated with CMMC. He said those offices would contact qualifying patients directly.