The Ontario Health Ministry says it is taking Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment at its word that players for the Toronto Maple Leafs and the Toronto Raptors did not jump the queue for the H1N1 vaccine.

The company known as MLSE admitted Nov. 4 that certain players and staff on both teams received shots at a time when many people in so-called priority groups had yet to receive theirs.

The company denied that its staff and players jumped the vaccination line but did not release any information on who received the shots or how.

After speaking to corporate representatives, the Health Ministry said it is now satisfied no rules were broken.

"We've been given assurances by MLSE that the players who did indeed receive the shot were in high-priority groups," said Ivan Langrish, a spokesman for the ministry.

Langrish told CBC News he didn't know how many players on either team received the shots or how they qualified for them.

In the first week of November, only people in the following groups were given the shots:

• Pregnant women.
• Children from six months to five years of age.
• People living 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.

Health Minister Deb Matthews had originally said she was "outraged" to hear members of the pro sports teams had received the shots. She said she would look into why it happened.

Langrish said a general review of the vaccine rollout would be done after the pandemic passed.

But he didn't say if there would be a review that specifically examined how players got vaccinated, adding that this would be determined at a "later date."

"We feel at this point it's important that we move forward with this," he said.