Provincial politicians and health officials tried to paint a picture of a swine flu vaccination program starting to hit its stride as there were few reports of chaotic lineups in the GTA.

"We have been listening to Ontarians and we are focused on making things better," Health Minister Deb Matthews told a news conference on Monday.

"It's been reported to us today that wait times are considerably reduced, and in some places, there's no waiting at all."

She said the number of flu-shot clinics in Toronto had gone from two to 10, but the city announced last week that it would be operating 10 clinics starting Monday.

More than 2,000 family doctors' offices, family health teams and community health centres will also be offering the vaccine this week. "That's why I would encourage you to talk to your family health-care provider before you go and line up at a flu clinic. Your doctor may be offering the vaccine."

The target this week is to make sure the 2.2 million doses received so far "go into people's arms this week," Matthews said. "We aren't holding back. Our public health units are going to keep administering the flu shot until our fridges are empty."

Dr. Arlene King, Ontario's chief medical officer of health, said new distribution centres and flu assessment centres have been set up. Toronto Public Health said it is considering whether such centres are necessary here.

Ontario has received 86,800 doses of unadjuvanted vaccine intended for women who are fewer than 20 weeks pregnant. Health units will have the vaccine within days, King said.

There is no firm date yet for when the general public can start receiving the vaccine. Full production of adjuvanted vaccine isn't expected to resume until next week. It got slowed down so the unadjuvanted vaccine could be produced.

King said the vast majority of health adults who contract the flu recover without adverse effects. She advised people to be calm, patient and practice measures such as hand-washing and staying home if sick.

Private clinics and the shot

At Queen's Park, however, the opposition was seeking answers about why a private Toronto medical clinic was given swine flu vaccine for its patients who fall into the high-priority groups.

The Medcan Clinic obtained 3,000 doses of the vaccine for its high-priority patients on Friday, a development first reported by CTV Toronto. On Saturday, the clinic said it will open up its immunizations to the members of the general public who fall into the high-risk groups:

  • pregnant women
  • children between six months and less than five years of age
  • people under age 65 with chronic conditions
  • household contacts and care providers of persons at high risk who cannot be immunized or may not respond to vaccines
  • health-care workers

To arrange an appointment, those in the above categories are asked to email the clinic at H1N1clinic@medcan.com.

Matthews said she's not going to second-guess Toronto Public Health at this time, saying she will wait to review the situation after the pandemic is under control.

The NDP said anyone who pays the $2,300 membership gets the privilege of jumping to the front of the line.

Anyone hoping to get a flu shot from Medcan will have to provide written documentation about their condition. The clinic is working with Toronto Public Health to determine who can get shots there.

In a statement released Monday, Toronto Public Health said: "The Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care sets criteria for health care providers who are vaccine delivery agents. Toronto Public Health's role is to ensure these providers meet the provincial requirements.

"If a provider meets the provincial requirements, the medical officer of health has no authority to refuse vaccine to that provider," it said.

Matthews told reporters that doctors will be given permission to charge OHIP for giving phone consultations on swine flu. She doesn't have an estimate of the cost.

Prisoners

In another politically sensitive development, the government came under fire over the news that some provincial jail inmates in high-priority groups are getting vaccinated while their guards are not.

"Only in Dalton McGuinty's Ontario would prisoners be moved to the front of the line while pregnant women and children are forced to wait in the rain for hours," said Progressive Conservative Leader Tim Hudak.

He said nurses, emergency medical technicians and doctors have also not been able to get inoculated.

"I understand that some people want to play politics with a pandemic. I am not one of those people," Matthews said.

The government's priority is to get priority groups inoculated as soon as possible, "and that includes healthy people under age 65 with a chronic underlying condition," she said.

Matthews said afterwards that it's not wise to have the flu spread in a closed environment, and it's better than taking inmates out of custody to public clinics or hospitals for shots. Guards who are in the high-priority groups will also get vaccinated, she said.

So far, 89 inmates have been vaccinated.

On Sunday, the province said it would double the number of clinics across the province to 100.

Toronto clinics

Here are the locations of Toronto's 10 clinics, which were scheduled to open at 1 p.m.:

  • Metro Hall, 55 John St., rotunda
  • East York Civic Centre, 850 Coxwell Ave., lower level
  • North York Civic Centre, 5100 Yonge St., members lounge
  • North Toronto Memorial Community Centre, 200 Eglinton Ave. W.
  • Etobicoke Civic Centre, 399 The West Mall, rooms 1, 2 and 3
  • Melody Public School (Gym), 24 Strathburn Blvd.
  • Masaryk-Cowan Community Recreation Centre, 220 Cowan Ave.
  • Scarborough Civic Centre (rotunda), 150 Borough Dr.
  • North Kipling Community Centre, 2 Rowntree Rd.

Timothy Eaton Business and Technical Institute (Cafeteria), 1251 Bridletowne Circle
At the Metro Hall clinic, which opened 45 minutes early, staff read out messages saying the vaccinations were only for people in the high-priority groups.

In a news release issued Monday afternoon, Toronto Public Health said the majority of clinics operated with wait times of less than one hour.

As of Oct. 31, the city's clinics have vaccinated more than 20,000 people, it said.

Current capacity is to administer 2,000 doses per clinic per day. The city has 120,000 doses available.

More than 700 doctors' offices have applied to administer the vaccine. More than 220 offices have received the vaccine to date. The total dose distribution to doctors, community health centres and family health teams is 112,000, it said.

Hospital unions worried

Tthe Ontario Council of Hospital Unions said the province's hospitals are operating at or above 98 per cent capacity.

As a result, they don't have room to accomplish a surge driven by swine flu, they said.

In Hamilton on Monday, president Michael Hurley said his group doesn't believe there are enough intensive care beds or ventilators in the province to accommodate those who come in with severe cases of swine flu.

The provincial health ministry should both reveal how many intensive-care beds and ventilators are available across Ontario and buy more of them, he said.

With reports from CTV Toronto's Galit Solomon and Paul Bliss, plus files from The Canadian Press