Health Minister Yves Bolduc is encouraging all Quebecers to be vaccinated against swine flu. (CBC)

Swine flu could infect as many as 2.5 million Quebecers in the coming weeks, Health Minister Yves Bolduc said Thursday.

Quebec will be ready, however, to deal with all scenarios, Bolduc said.

In order to avoid the spread of the A(H1N1) virus, the minister said, the government could set aside certain clinics to be used solely to treat flu patients, should the number of cases justify it.

Employers also have a role to play, as government authorities are asking them to be understanding and not require a medical certificate if a patient is absent for more than three days. The goal is to avoid unnecessarily clogging up clinics and doctors offices.

Over the next few days, the government will distribute a guide to dealing with swine flu to each household Bolduc said Thursday.

Self-care guide

The 12-page document, already available on the government's website, includes information about:

• How the H1N1 virus spreads.
• Who is at risk.
• Symptoms.
• How to prevent the spread of the virus.
• What to do if you get sick.

The province's director of public health protection, Horacio Arruda, said the flu has arrived in the province

"I encourage each Quebecer to get vaccinated and to use basic prevention measures, such as hand washing," Bolduc said. "As much as possible, the home must remain the main site of treatment in order to avoid the spread of the illness."

Arruda said: "Over the past three weeks, we have had an increase in the number of calls to the Info Santé [help line] for people with flu-like symptoms."

The number of tests for the H1N1 virus has also gone up, Arruda said.

"It was under three per cent a few weeks ago, now it is at 7.1 per cent, so we can see that the flu is setting in," he said.

Officials hope at least 50 per cent of the population will be vaccinated. The province's vaccination campaign starts Nov. 1.

With files from The Canadian Press