VICTORIA – The B.C. government is legislating an end to the long-running paramedics strike as it braces for the full impact of H1N1 influenza and the coming Christmas holiday season.

Health Minister Kevin Falcon said Monday that despite an essential services order that requires full ambulance service, the strike is affecting patient care.

"In the Lower Mainland, the number of ambulances out of service each month has jumped to 150, compared to just 12 per month before the strike began," Falcon said. "With the rest of our health care system already operating at full capacity to manage the impact of H1N1, we can't afford to have the ambulance service operating at less than peak effectiveness."

The move comes as public health officials struggle with lineups at H1N1 vaccination clinics and the virus spreading among health care workers. Last week as many as one out of four staff at BC Women's Hospital were off sick.

The H1N1 vaccine priority is moving this week to children, pregnant women and health care workers who are in close contact with the chronically ill people who were targeted first.

The vaccination program has been set back by healthy people showing up at clinics, and by a shortage of vaccine caused by smaller than expected shipments from the manufacturer.

Provincial health officer Dr. Perry Kendall said Monday the province has 350,000 doses of the regular vaccine still on hand, and he expects all of those to be administered by Friday.

"If we can do that, then by the end of this week we will have vaccinated 800,000 people, or about 20 per cent of the population, including the most high-risk British Columbians and many health care providers," Kendall said.

He advised people at high risk for H1N1 to talk to their doctor about getting a prescription for the treatment drug Tamiflu, whether they are immunized or not, so they can get it filled quickly if they start to show the respiratory and other symptoms of influenza.

It takes 10 days for the vaccine to provide immunity after the shot is given.

Kendall said healthy people should be able to receive the vaccine by late November or early December. In the meantime, everyone should take precautions, including washing hands, coughing or sneezing into their sleeve, and getting sufficient rest and nutrition to keep their immune systems as strong as possible.

Falcon said health officials don't know how many healthy people were able to jump the queue and get shots before children and other high-risk groups.

"We are saying to the public, for goodness sake, if you are healthy, please allow those who are at-risk populations to receive their vaccinations first," Falcon said. "They are the ones whose health is most in jeopardy with H1N1."