Updated: Mon Nov. 02 2009 19:24:09

ctvwinnipeg.ca

An H1N1 vaccine shortage is forcing clinics in Winnipeg to temporarily shut down after Monday, from Tuesday through Friday.

The province expected a shipment of 72,000 doses this week, but is only receiving 15,500.

That led provincial health officials to rigidly screen people who came to clinics on Monday.

Those who are not on the province's priority list will have to wait, say officials.

One man who CTV spoke with and asked that his name not be disclosed, says he waited for two hours in line with his family to get the shot because his doctor ordered them to. His wife has cancer and is starting chemotherapy next week, leaving her with a compromised immune system.

Just as his daughter sat down and rolled up her sleeve, a woman came up and said the family was not on the priority list and, as result, is ineligible. The woman also refused to call the family's doctor to confirm if he had ordered them to get the shot.

"It's just a comedy of errors," says the man. "They couldn't have bungled it any better if they actually set out to try and make it worse," he says.

Once a larger supply of the vaccine becomes available, the province says it will consider adding family members of sick patients back onto the priority list.

The province says it has been regularly updating the Winnipeg Regional Health Authority and Cancer Care Manitoba of changes to its H1N1 plan.

As of noon on Monday, more than 2,500 people had been vaccinated. That brings the total number of Winnipeggers vaccinated to 68,000, say officials.

This weekend, the province learned it will be getting 2,000 more doses of the vaccine in the next shipment, bringing Manitoba's total to 17,000. They are expected to arrive on Wednesday or Thursday.

People who are on the province's priority list include:

- adults 55 and under with serious chronic health conditions

- children 6 months to under five years old

- aboriginal people

- some pregnant women

Provincial health officials are also expecting a delayed shipment of the adjuvant-free vaccine later this week. More than 9,000 doses are expected to arrive late this week.

The adjuvant-free vaccine is primarily being reserved for pregnant women and will not be given out to the general public, according to the WRHA.

Not all immunization clinics in Manitoba are closing temporarily. To find out information about clinics in communities outside of Winnipeg, contact information is on the Regional Health Authority of Manitoba's website: http://www.rham.mb.ca/

- with a report from CTV's Stacey Ashley