Members of Canada's military in Newfoundland and Labrador, including reservists, are being vaccinated against swine flu before members of the general public.

The military's immunization program began in St. John's on Monday.

The vaccines, which target the strain of H1N1 influenza A virus responsible for the current swine flu outbreak, come from a federal supply, not the shipments sent to N.L. for mass immunization of the province's population. They are being offered to all regular Forces members and reservists in the province.

A military official defended the military's H1N1 vaccination program, telling CBC News that the military is responsible for providing health care to its personnel and must keep its members healthy in case civilian authorities need them to respond to an emergency. It has already given 30,000 doses back to the federal public health authority, the official said.

Members of the public and most school children in Newfoundland and Labrador are not being offered swine flu vaccinations yet.

The province says it must first prioritize groups at high risk for complications if they contract the flu for shots because it has a limited supply.

Provincial Health Minister Jerome Kennedy said he doesn't agree with giving flu shots to the military first.

Priority list adjusted

"I don't feel at this point. In this province that we should be going outside the groups that we have outlined because every day I'm getting emails saying 'Can you help me?' and I'm saying, 'We will get to you when the vaccine is available,'" said Kennedy.

" If this decision was being made by me today, that would not happen."

On Monday the provincial list of high-priority groups being vaccinated first was adjusted to include parents or primary-care providers of children under the age of six months and of immuno-compromised children and young adults who can't be vaccinated.

The vaccine is also available in Newfoundland and Labrador to children between the ages of six months and five years, people between the ages of five and 24 who have chronic conditions, and pregnant women who are in the second half of their pregnancy.

On Tuesday, Kennedy expanded the list again.

Effective Thursday, people in the following groups will be eligible for vaccination:

• Hospital in-patients less than 65 years of age with one or more chronic health conditions.
• School-aged children from kindergarten to Grade 3.
• Individuals aged 25 to 40 with respiratory diseases such as asthma, chronic bronchitis, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease or cystic fibrosis.
• Individuals undergoing active cancer treatment and transplant patients (including pre-transplant patients on a wait list and post-transplant patients in the last two years).