H1N1 clinics in Winnipeg reopened Thursday after nearly a week of being closed due to a shortage of vaccination dosage. (CBC)

Winnipeg's swine flu vaccination clinics reopened Thursday morning after being closed since Friday evening due to a shortage of the vaccine.

And now all children under the age of 18 are included in the province's priority list of those who should get the shot before the general population. Until now, only those aged six months to five years were considered at priority risk of becoming seriously ill.

Dr. Joel Kettner, Manitoba's chief medical officer of health, said a large number of children suffering flu-like symptoms have been turning up at the emergency department at Winnipeg's Children's Hospital.

"The overall numbers of patients presenting to the emergency room has increased significantly, and of those a large proportion, approximately half, have symptoms that are what we call influenza-like illness symptoms," Kettner said.

As well, several schools are reporting higher than usual absenteeism, Kettner added.

"We've got some indicators from schools that absenteeism has been rising and we also are aware that children are one of the most important sources of spread of viruses, particularly influenza viruses, within a community."

To ease the demand on the ER at Children's Hospital, a special care clinic is being set up for children, the Winnipeg Regional Health Authority announced Wednesday. Located in a separate area of the hospital — CE501-840 Sherbrook St. — it will open Thursday at 6 p.m. and be staffed with nurses and a pediatrician.

The health authority said the clinic is needed because 160 to 190 patients a day have been showing up at the hospital's emergency department during the past two weeks. Normally, the ER would see between 110 and 120 patients a day.

It is not a vaccination clinic but a health-care clinic. Its hours of operation will be:

• Thursday: 6 p.m. to 9 p.m.
• Friday: 6 p.m. to 9 p.m.
• Saturday: 2 p.m. to 5 p.m.
• Sunday: 2 p.m. to 5 p.m.

Regular hours for the 12 vaccination clinics operated in Winnipeg by the WRHA — scheduled to run until Dec. 4 — are Monday to Thursday from 9:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Friday from 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.

As of 4 p.m. on Thursday, a total of 106,302 people had been vaccinated at the Winnipeg clinics since Oct. 26.

The province's new priority list includes the following:

• Children six months to age 17.
• Anyone of aboriginal ancestry (First Nations, Métis or Inuit).
• Disadvantaged individuals (for example, the homeless).
• People living in remote or isolated areas.
• People under 65 with a chronic medical condition or other risk including obesity, substance abuse or alcoholism.
• Anyone with a weakened immune system or those who live with or care for them.
• Those who live with or care for infants under six months old.
• Single parents or anyone solely responsible for a dependant.
• Health-care workers and medical first responders.
• Pregnant women.

Locations of the Winnipeg clinics are on the map below. Clinics outside the city can be found by visiting Manitoba Health's H1N1 website by clicking the link on the top right of this story.