The problem isn’t so much that someone has to go last, but rather that the “someone” is us.

According to the Vancouver Island Health Authority’s latest flu vaccination schedule, Salt Springers will have to wait until Nov. 19 before the first of three island vaccination clinics takes place at the Fernwood Elementary School.

And we’re not just last in line, we’re last by a long shot.

By the time this paper hits newsstands on Wednesday, 32 of 36 communities across VIHA’s jurisdiction will have each hosted at least one day of vaccination clinics.

By the end of the week, only Gabriola and Salt Spring residents will not have had the opportunity to get jabbed at clinics on their respective islands.

From that point, it’s still almost a two-week wait.

The official VIHA line is that a higher proportion of people over the age of 65 on Salt Spring means there are fewer people here who are susceptible to contracting H1N1.

For the many Salt Spring residents who will undoubtedly choose to avoid the vaccine altogether, the timing of flu clinics is moot.

For islanders who are among the estimated 51 per cent of Canadians who intend to get vaccinated, on the other hand, the delay opens the door to yet more anxiety. For them, it’s another two weeks of compulsive hand washing, frantic sterilization and fear of public gatherings.

VIHA’s struggle to optimize the resources needed to hold an estimated 220 clinics between Oct. 26 and Dec. 31 is a monumental task. The job’s difficulty is compounded by reports of vaccine shortages, lineups and a rising number of H1N1 cases.

VIHA reps ensure us that, in time, everyone who wants and needs a vaccine will have a chance to get one.

It’s just a matter of waiting our turn.

Unfortunately, people wanting the good old seasonal influenza shot will also have to wait an extra couple of weeks because their clinics (originally set for Oct. 26) were delayed to coincide with the H1N1 dates.

According to the Public Health Agency of Canada, between 2,000 and 8,000 people die from seasonal influenza every year. The vast majority of those people are more than 65 years of age.

Unlike H1N1, it may not be a pandemic but it seems a far greater cause for concern — especially given our island’s demographics.