Although only "hundreds of thousands" of H1N1 vaccines have been doled out across Ontario, the province's top doc says she remains optimistic 2.2 million people will be inoculated by Saturday.
Dr. Arlene King, Ontario's chief medical officer of health, said she's still aiming for the multi-million vaccination target.
"We're doing our very best to get that vaccine out there," King told reporters during her daily update on the province's estimated $600-million rollout of the H1N1 vaccine. "It's really important to have a target ... I hope we meet that target."
But King didn't have an exact number on how many doses have been doled out so far. Officials said only "hundreds of thousands" of doses have been dispensed. King stressed the priority is on administering the vaccine, not reporting the number of vaccinations.
As health officials scrambled to deliver the vaccine, another Ontario resident died from H1N1 yesterday.
The Haliburton, Kawartha, Pine Ridge District Health Unit confirmed an adult with the H1N1 flu virus died but said the individual did have a severe underlying medical condition.
Since April, 33 H1N1 deaths have been reported. There have been 639 confirmed H1N1 hospitalizations. Around 19 people remain in hospital.
The province's priority is to vaccinate only those at the highest risk of complications if they contract H1N1, and King couldn't say when members of the general public will be able to start lining up for their shots.
"We are actively reviewing when we might be able to expand," she said. "That will be heavily dependent on our supply situation and as of right now we don't know how much we're getting next week or when."
Lineups outside Toronto Public Health vaccine clinics were shorter yesterday as the agency continued to only vaccinate those at the highest risk.
By Monday night, TPH had vaccinated around 30,000 people.
Public Health announced last night that along with its 10 vaccination centres, it's also giving the vaccine to priority groups within six Toronto homeless shelters.
More than 300 of the about 700 Toronto doctor's offices that applied to administer the vaccine have received doses so far, health officials said.
In all, public health has doled out 239,400 doses of the vaccine, including to 22 community health centres, 22 family health teams and 22 acute-care hospitals.
"We are encouraging people to call their doctors' offices to see if vaccine is available," health officials stated last night.
A third Toronto hospital has reported an H1N1 outbreak.
Bloorview Kids Rehab declared an outbreak on Friday after 11 children on the hospital's in-patient floor showed symptoms. Tests confirmed four cases were H1N1.
Hospital officials said all the children were treated at the hospital and are recovering.
don.peat@sunmedia.ca
