Newfoundland and Labrador Health Minister Jerome Kennedy says he is considering making senior citizens the next candidates for getting the province's swine flu vaccine, even if it means overruling the advice of medical experts.

Health officials have said people over the age of 65 are considered to have a lower risk of becoming infected with the H1N1 virus than other members of the population.

But Kennedy told reporters in St. John's on Tuesday that he won't necessarily accept medical recommendations about the province's ongoing mass vaccination program.

"I will not blindly follow the medical advice," Kennedy said.

Kennedy has already gone against the recommendations of doctors when he ordered that schoolchildren be given the shot, opting to vaccinate young people before others who might have been at greater risk of developing complications from an H1N1 infection.

Kennedy said he's willing to do it again when it comes to older people, because sometimes society's expectations should trump medical advice.

"If you look at it, our seniors are not listed as a high-risk group for Health Canada. Am I going to take the vaccine before my 72-year-old mother with a heart condition? No."

Health officials believe seniors are less likely to get sick than healthy adults under age 65, but if they do contract H1N1, it can be quite severe, even fatal.

Dr. Faith Stratton, the province's chief medical officer, stood next to Kennedy on Tuesday during their daily swine flu briefing with reporters, when he said he was willing to ignore medical advice.

Stratton wouldn't commit to which groups should be considered the next priority to receive the vaccine.

"That again will be discussed, I'm sure, with the amount of vaccine that we have in place," she said.

Kennedy said he also wants to make senior high school students one of next priority groups.

Junior high students were set to get the shot starting Wednesday.