Pregnant women will move to the front of the line for swine flu shots in B.C., starting next week. (CBC)

Pregnant women will top the priority list for H1N1 shots next week as British Columbia temporarily faces a dwindling supply of vaccine.

Dr. Perry Kendall, B.C.'s provincial medical officer of health, said Thursday that by the end of the week, some 800,000 doses will have been distributed, and that the province will have about 83,000 doses remaining.

The province is set to receive about 250,000 more doses from the Quebec production plant by next Thursday, for distribution beginning the following week.

Kendall said the entire country is facing the same shortage, and more people probably will get sick as the rate of vaccination falters than would otherwise fall ill with swine flu if there were enough available immediately.

The H1N1 vaccine is currently being offered in B.C. only to people under 65 with a chronic condition, children between six months and five years, pregnant women and some health-care workers, because of a shortage of supply.

So far in B.C., 15 deaths have been linked to the virus and more than 360 people have been hospitalized.

Hospitals in B.C. have not been overwhelmed by swine flu patients at this point, Kendall said, but they are diverting doctors from other wards to assist in busy emergency rooms.

With files from The Canadian Press