Montreal Health Agency president David Levine, left, and Public Health Director Dr. Richard Lessard presented the vaccination plan Friday. (CBC)Shopping centres, schools — even Olympic Stadium and the Palais des Congrès — will serve as makeshift clinics when Montreal public health officials begin vaccinations against the H1N1 virus.

The Montreal Health Agency unveiled its strategy Friday as the province’s flu vaccination campaign gets underway Monday.

In all, 17 vaccination centres will open in early November as officials aim to vaccinate 1.4 million people against swine flu.

But officials warn it will take some time for everyone who wants the vaccine to get it.

Health-care workers and people who are in hospital with serious illnesses will be the first to get the vaccine, followed by:

Starting Nov. 6	Parents of children under six months old. Family members of people with immunodeficiency disorders.
Starting Nov. 9	Pregnant women. Children between the ages of six months and five-years old, and their parents.
Starting Nov. 16	People under 18 years old with a chronic illness.
Starting Nov. 23	18- to 65-year-olds with a chronic illness.

Healthy adults vaccinated Dec. 7

Healthy adults and children over the age of five will have to wait until after Dec. 7, said Montreal Health Agency president David Levine.

"We're moving as quickly as we can in relation to the availability of the vaccine," Levine said.

Montreal’s director of public health, Dr. Richard Lessard, urged people to get the vaccine, even if they are young and healthy.

"Complications do develop in that age group as well," said Lessard.

“If you're young and you are around people who are either pregnant or old — or for whatever other reason they might be at risk — you better protect yourself and protect the people around you.”Healthy adults will be vaccinated after Dec. 7. (CBC)

Since early October the number of calls to the health information phone line relating to questions about flu-like symptoms has doubled to roughly eight per cent, said Lessard.

Since the start of the second wave of the flu Aug. 30, there have been 40 confirmed cases in Montreal — including 10 Thursday alone, said Lessard.

Only one death has been reported in the same period.

During the first wave of the flu from May to July, Lessard said there were 1,287 confirmed cases of the virus in Montreal, 230 hospitalizations and 12 deaths.

It should take no more than an hour to get the vaccine, said Levine.

People who want to be vaccinated are required to bring Quebec photo ID.