Valley residents lined up to receive the H1N1 influenza vaccine Monday in Courtenay.

The Vancouver Island Health Authority (VIHA) began the first wave of vaccination clinics Monday afternoon at the Florence Filberg Centre. The vaccine is free, and VIHA clinics will continue for eight weeks.

“During the first week of what will be the largest mass immunization campaign in VIHA’s history, the initial supply vaccine will only be available to high-risk groups,” Dr. Richard Stanwick, VIHA’s chief medical health officer, said in a press release. “In due course, there will be enough vaccine for every VIHA resident who wants the H1N1 shot, and medical health officers are encouraging everyone to get it. We are asking the patience of the general population that they wait two to three weeks so that individuals at highest risk of complications can get their vaccination first.”

In the first week of availability, the vaccine is being administered to people at high risk of suffering complications from the H1N1 influenza: those younger than 65 with chronic health conditions, pregnant women, and people who live in rural and isolated settings and communities, including all First Nations people living on reserve.

Next week, anyone from the initial high-risk groups, children between six months and five years old, health-care workers, household contacts and care providers of infants less than six months old, and household contacts and care providers of people who have compromised immune systems will be eligible for the vaccine.

By mid-November, the vaccine should be available to the general population, according to VIHA, which has scheduled almost 300 community clinics throughout its service area for an eight-week period.

The seasonal influenza shot will also be available at all VIHA mass immunization clinics to those at high risk of serious illness from seasonal influenza and to individuals at risk of spreading the seasonal influenza virus to those at high risk of serious illness.

Individuals can receive the H1N1 vaccine through community-based clinics, most physician offices and certain pharmacies.

The H1N1 vaccine is not recommended for infants younger than six months, while children younger than 10 will require two half doses at least 21 days apart, according to the Public Health Agency of Canada.

Information about community clinics is available online at www.viha.ca/h1n1 or www.health.gov.bc.ca/flu or by calling HealthLinkBC at 8-1-1.

VIHA has just released a 15-page H1N1 pandemic preparedness booklet called Be Prepared Be Well: How to Care for Yourself and the People You Care About, which is available at www.viha.ca/NR/rdonlyres/62E9CAEF-87BC-444A-9126-8A21478D56C2/0/be_prepared_be_well_final_22oct09.pdf.

For more information, visit VIHA’s website at www.viha.ca/h1n1.

Comox Valley innoculation schedule, A2.

writer@comoxvalleyrecord.com