Health officials in New Brunswick are defending the decision not to include firefighters and police officers on the priority list for swine flu shots.

Individual emergency responders who fall into current priority groups can get inoculations on their own, said chief medical officer of health Dr. Eilish Cleary.

The others can wait until clinics are open to the general public, she said.

But Opposition MLA Carl Urquhart says that during a pandemic, people whose job is to respond to emergencies should be protected.

He wants essential workers such as police and fire crews to be in the front line of those receiving vaccinations.

Cleary said that would be the plan during a worst-case-scenario pandemic. But so far, the outbreak hasn't reached crisis proportions, she said.

"We've seen a lot of activity, but a lot of mild activity with a small number of severe cases."

Some do qualify

Only firefighters trained in responding to medical emergencies are being vaccinated as front-line health care workers, Cleary said.

Protecting the people most vulnerable to complications if they get the swine flu is the priority for now, she said.

Moncton deputy fire chief Don McCabe said his firefighters understand the need for children, pregnant women and others on the priority list to be vaccinated first. They're willing to wait until those people are safe before being inoculated themselves, he said.

Meanwhile, firefighters will wear special gowns, masks and goggles to protect themselves when responding to a call where swine flu is involved, McCabe said.

To date, 38 people in New Brunswick have received hospital care for complications related to swine flu.