Quebec Health Minister Yves Bolduc receives his dose of the H1N1 vaccine. (CBC)

The official launch of Quebec's vaccination campaign got off to a rocky start Monday as officials at several Montreal hospitals said they were still waiting for their doses of the vaccine.

Health care workers, first responders and long-term care patients were to be the first vaccinated.

However, officials at the McGill University Health Centre, the Jewish General Hospital, and the Universite de Montreal Hospital Centre, among others, said they still hadn't received their doses of the vaccine.

'It's voluntary and it's free. We do encourage as many people as possible to participate," '—Premier Jean Charest

Health Minister Yves Bolduc said he would look into the delays, but warned that people must be patient.

“We know that the number of vaccines are limited, and we’re trying to vaccinate the maximum number of people as quickly as possible,” said Bolduc.

“We will have new stock soon, and we will be able to vaccinate people.”

On Monday, officials with the Health Ministry also addressed concerns expressed that the government website providing information about the location of vaccination clinics was available only in French.

“The website will be available in English by Wednesday,” said spokesperson Dominique Breton.

A Services Quebec representative confirmed authorities had received several complaints about the issue.

Setting an example

Bolduc was joined by members of the opposition to get his dose of the vaccine Monday at Pierre-Boucher hospital in Longueuil.

He said those who have been unsure about getting the vaccine should get off the fence.

“The vaccination is the best way to prevent the disease and it's very important that you should be vaccinated,” said Bolduc.

Parti Québecois health critic Bernard Drainville agreed.

“This morning I was driving in my car, and I heard about the 11-year old girl in Ontario who died — my own daughter is 11-years old,” Drainville said.

Québec Solidaire MNA Amir Khadir, who is a physician, said his own decision was motivated by the death of one of his own patients from swine-flu related complications in June.

The majority of the population will have a chance to get the shot at mass vaccination centres next week, where officials say they will give priority to small children, pregnant women and people with ill health.

No state of emergency

On the weekend, Quebec Premier Jean Charest reminded people to take advantage of the shot.

"It's voluntary and it's free. We do encourage as many people as possible to participate," Charest said at an event in Montreal on Sunday afternoon.

The premier said he doesn't see a need to declare a state of emergency because of the flu, as President Barack Obama has done in the United States.

"We're in a different situation," he said. "We've been working very closely with health officials in the federal side, in the other provinces. We're fairly well prepared."

Charest said he and his family plan to get the vaccine as soon as they can.

School reports small flu outbreak

Students and staff at a high school in the Lower St-Lawrence have already been vaccinated after a small outbreak of the flu spread through their small community about 250 kilometres east of Quebec City.

Officials in Trois-Pistoles administered hundreds of vaccines over the weekend after the H1N1 virus infected more than a dozen students at the École secondaire Arc-En-Ciel late last week.

The outbreak was discovered after almost one-third of students called in sick on Friday.

Of the 19 students tested, 16 came back positive for H1N1.

Health officials in the region say the positive flu cases were mild and the school will be open Monday as usual.

The remaining vaccines will be rolled out in the community of 3,600 according to Quebec's official inoculation plan. With files from The Canadian Press