Ontario is expanding its H1N1 immunization program to include, among others, some members of the Ontario health ministry, seniors living in long-term care homes and first responders.

Dr. Arlene King, Ontario's chief medical officer of health, told a Toronto news conference on Tuesday that members of the following groups will begin receiving shots this week:

• First responders, including firefighters and police officers.
• Frontline workers at correctional facilities and youth facility workers.
• Adults aged 65 years or older who live in long-term care homes.
• Between 100 and 120 members of the Ontario Ministry of Health and Long Term Care.

King said the shots for the Ministry of Health officials will be limited to those involved directly in the response to the pandemic.

"This includes all ministry emergency operation centre staff, staff working on surveillance and immunization," she said.

King acknowledged that people aged 65 or older seem to be less likely to contract the H1N1 flu than the general public, but she said "they are more vulnerable to serious complications and death if they do contract the disease."

She also said first responders often have to respond to medical emergencies, and correctional workers operate in "close settings where the risk of outbreak is higher."

"As the vaccine supply situation improves, we will start to sequence the use of the vaccine to other groups who will benefit from immunization," she said, without elaborating on who would be next in line.

Deaths confirmed in recent days

King also said that Ontario has confirmed 15 new deaths from the H1N1 virus since Friday. But she said only one of those occurred on Friday or later.

"The remaining deaths occurred previously, but were reported to the Ministry on Friday or over the weekend," she said. H1N1 flu activity is increasing across the province, she said.

The province is ramping up its immunization program as it receives more doses of the H1N1 vaccine from the federal government.

Ontario received 770,000 doses of the H1N1 vaccine manufactured by GlaxoSmithKline in Quebec on Monday. But only 395,000 doses — all of which contain an adjuvant, a chemical that boosts immune response to the serum — can be used this week.

The remaining 375,000 doses without an adjuvant, intended for pregnant women, will remain untouched for the time being. That's because Health Canada has yet to approve its use for pregnant women.

As a stopgap solution, the province has started administering some 86,800 doses of Australian-made adjuvant-free shots to pregnant women.

King did not give a timeframe for when the made-in-Canada vaccine would be approved.

So far, Ontario has only been vaccinating people in the following priority groups:

• Frontline health-care workers.
• Pregnant women.
• Children from six months to five years of age.
• People who live with children under six months old.
• People under 65 with underlying medical conditions.
• Immune-compromised people and those caring for them.
• People living in remote and isolated communities.