Hamilton public health officials say supply of H1N1 vaccines received earlier this week will allow the city to expand its high priority group.

In addition to older people and children, health officials will also vaccinate police and fire personnel and people working in high risk institutions.

Elizabeth Richardson, the city’s medical officer of health, said Hamilton received a small shipment of vaccines Nov. 12, which will keep its flu clinics open. She said the city should start receiving its regular amount of doses from the province starting next week.

Hamilton has received about 81,500 doses, while Halton Region has received about 73,000 doses. But Halton health officials closed down its flu clinics last weekend because of a shortage. Health officials are vaccinating people only in the high-priority groups, including people with chronic health problems, children under five years and health care workers.

The federal government was expected to provide Ontario with about 770,000 doses. Hamilton’s four flu clinics, at the Dundas Baptist Church, Chedoke Twin Pad Arena, St. Helen’s elementary school and Jackson Square were scheduled to be open from 1 p. m. to 7 p. m. this week. Dundas’s clinic was scheduled to be closed on Nov. 13.

Meanwhile, the province is expected to pay the city the cost to operate its three H1N1 assessment centres, located at Hamilton Health Science’s west end clinic, at St. Joseph’s Healthcare on King Street East and the Hamilton Pediatrics Assessment Centre.

The cost estimate to operate the clinics is almost $640,000. Dr. Richardson said the city has become the lead organization to operate the centres.

The centres were opened a few weeks ago after local hospital emergency rooms were under pressure from so many patient visits because of the flu. Health officials are reporting the pressure on emergency rooms has abated for now and two of the three assessment centres will be closed. The west end clinic shut down Nov. 13, while the St. Joseph clinic will close Nov. 16.

Stoney Creek councillor Brad Clark remained skeptical the province will reimburse the municipality.

“Why is Hamilton and not (Hamilton Health Sciences) overseeing (the centres)? They get direct funding from the government,” he said.

As of Nov. 4 almost 100 schools had reported outbreaks and there has been a higher than usual absenteeism rate among workers at local businesses.

Meanwhile, Dr. Richardson said attitudes about people getting the H1N1 vaccine has shifted over the past year. She said in the spring, when the H1N1 virus was first reported, 80 per cent of people in Ontario surveyed stated they would get a vaccine, while 75 per cent of Hamiltonians stated they would get the shot.

Now, Ontarian’s planning to get the shot has dropped to about 35 per cent. There was no corresponding response from Hamiltonians.

“It ebbs and flows,” said Dr. Richardson. “(The attitudes) remain dynamic.”

Clark urged the public to get the shot and commended local health officials for their aggressive communication plan to encourage all people to get vaccinated.

“Everyone in my family wants it when it becomes available,” said Clark. “It’s working. It’s helping.”