GREENWOOD, Ind. -- Santa Claus says his interaction with children in malls across America puts him at greater risk of getting H1N1 flu, and he'd like to be added to the priority list for vaccinations.

For 10 years, children have climbed onto the lap of Santa at the Greenwood Park Mall with gift requests and plenty of questions, such as "How's Rudolph? How's Mrs. Claus?" 6News' Sarah Cornell reported.

Of course, the children also spread plenty of germs. Santa said parents usually don't bring children to the mall if they're sick, but sometimes they drool, or worse.

"Usually they have the call of nature when they get up here," said Santa.

In between visits at Greenwood Park, Santa uses hand "santa-tizer,” and he changes gloves each day.

But some Santa stand-ins don't think that's enough protection during H1N1 season.

The Amalgamated Order of Real Bearded Santas wants people who play the bearded one at malls to be added to the H1N1 priority group and get the vaccine first.

"They are little Petri dishes that are sitting on our laps. You have to protect them, as well as yourself," said one member of the Amalgamated Order of Real Bearded Santas.

"I guess it makes sense, but I don't know that they would be any more important than teachers or other people who are around children all day," said parent Jessamny Neely.

Greenwood Park's Santa isn't so sure, either. He gets a regular flu shot and thinks that's enough. He'd rather wait his turn for the vaccine instead of getting in the way of little ones who may need it more.

"After all, Santa is too old to get sick," he said.

Pregnant women, children, and people with chronic illnesses are first in line for the H1N1 vaccine, but the union that represents some mall Santas is still urging the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to add him to the list.

Santa's request has pork producers up in arms. The National Pork Producers Council said its workers should get equal billing as Santa when it comes to being on a priority list.

The NPPC said cases of humans transmitting the virus to pigs are evidence that their workers need inoculations.