All 12 Winnipeg clinics dispensing H1N1 flu shots will reopen Wednesday after being cancelled for a day over concerns of a potential vaccine shortage.
The Winnipeg Regional Health Authority said there is now more vaccine on hand than officials estimated there would be following Monday's vaccinations.
The WRHA has 12,000 doses available for Wednesday and a shipment of 8,000 doses is expected later this week. Clinics will continue to operate this week for as long as vaccine is available.
However, the WRHA said swine flu shots will only be available to a priority group of people deemed most at risk of contracting H1N1.
Those priority groups are:
- Children aged six months to under five years old.
- Anyone of aboriginal ancestry (First Nations, Métis or Inuit).
- People under 55 with a chronic medical or other risk condition.
- Pregnant women.
The WRHA said clients will be screened by clinic staff to ensure they fall into the priority groups.
Clinics were cancelled Tuesday and it was uncertain when they would be reopened after more than 75,000 people turned up to be vaccinated last week.
Manitoba Health Minister Theresa Oswald told CBC News on Friday that Manitoba would be getting less than 25 per cent of the number of the swine flu vaccine doses that officials were expecting.
She said the province was supposed to receive 72,000 doses this week, but that had been reduced to 15,500.
The 12 Winnipeg H1N1 vaccination clinics will be open from 9:30 a.m. until 8:00 p.m. CT and are located at the following places detailed on the map below.
