Ontario health officials say they believe the province's vaccination program has helped avoid a feared 'third wave' of the H1N1 virus. (Canadian Press)

Medical officials in Ontario say the province has likely avoided the 'third wave' of the HINI virus.

Public health officials said Tuesday the immunization program, combined with the number of people who have been exposed to the virus, has boosted the level of immunity in the community and the spread of H1N1 is dwindling.

An estimated five-million people in the province have gotten a flu shot – about 700,000 of Toronto's 2.6 million residents among them.

Ontario's acting medical officer of health Dr. David Williams says with almost 40 per cent of the people in Ontario having been vaccinated, the numbers of H1N1 infections have dropped to about a dozen a week across the province and only about one or two in Toronto.

"We think the vaccine had an affect on curtailing that second wave very abruptly," said Williams, "and of course we are optimistic it will avoid a whole third wave."

In the past, when there have been serious outbreaks of flu, many health authorities have reported a third wave of the virus appearing in the spring.

"I would say if there is any third wave, or further activity for HINI in the coming months, it's likely to be very much smaller than we've seen in the past," Williams said.

Public Health will be monitoring the number of cases closely in the coming weeks to see if there is any increase.

Since this H1N1 virus surfaced last year 128 people have died in Ontario from H1N1 related illness, 21 in Toronto.