Lake Forest, Ill. ? The Chicago Bears gave scarce flu vaccines to two players who have asthmatic conditions that placed them at high risk of developing influenza, the team said Friday.

Healthy players who asked whether they should receive the vaccinations were told no, Bears spokesman Scott Hagel said.

“The players that received the shots were the ones that were in the high-risk category,” Hagel said. “Nothing was offered categorically across our players. This is part of our standard procedure every year.”

The team returned its unused flu vaccine to the distributor, Hagel said.

“We received our order in mid-September, well before the shortage was announced,” Hagel said. The nationwide shortage was announced Oct. 5.

The team called a news conference Friday after the players’ morning practice in response to media reports that healthy players had received the vaccinations.

“Everybody is really conscious of what is going on,” defensive end Michael Haynes said. “We realize there is a shortage, and everybody is trying to do their part.”

Generally, only players who need the vaccinations are offered them, Haynes said.

“A lot of us are healthy and we don’t have respiratory problems. Obviously we’re not old and we’re not young, not little kids, so we don’t need it and we know that,” he said.

Linebacker Hunter Hillenmeyer said he wasn’t offered a shot.

“No. I mean, come on guys, are you serious? No,” Hillenmeyer said. “I didn’t even know they were doing it. I didn’t even know they were giving them.”