Vancouver today received more than 90,000 new doses of the H1N1 vaccine ahead of expanded eligibility for the shots.
Altogether, 350,000 new doses will be distributed across British Columbia, which saw more demand for the vaccine than was available during the first week of innoculations.
Clinics were closed on the weekend, and have reopened on a much larger scale, said Gavin Wilson, a spokesperson for Vancouver Coastal Health.
“We didn’t want to see people waiting for hours and being turned away,” Wilson said of keeping clinics open over the weekend.
“Rather than increasing frustration and concern, we thought of focusing on getting big clinics opening up (today).” Each of the Vancouver clinics will be able to immunize 3,500 people a week, said Wilson.
The majority of vaccinations are being handled by family doctors.
The vaccine is now available to children between six months and five years old, and health care workers. Women past their 20th week, people with underlying health issues, aboriginals and people living in remote areas are still eligible.
The vaccine was supposed to be available to all other British Columbians by mid-November, but that date has been pushed back a few weeks.
