Officials say they're expanding the eligibility criteria for the H1N1 vaccine priority group.

It now includes:

· Children aged six months to under five-years-old;

· Anyone of aboriginal ancestry;

· Disadvantaged individuals (for example, the homeless);

· People living in remote or isolated areas;

· People under 65 with a chronic medical condition or other risks including severe obesity, substance abuse or alcoholism;

· Anyone with a weakened immune system or those who live with or care for them;

· Those who live with or care for infants under six months old;

· Single parents or anyone solely responsible for a dependent;

· Health-care workers and medical first responders; and

· Pregnant women.

At clinics Wednesday morning, the WRHA says turnout was low for vaccinations, leading to the decision to expand the priority group criteria.

Both vaccine with and without adjuvant is available. Only pregnant women are eligible for the vaccine without adjuvant. The WRHA says it has about 4,300 doses of the vaccine without adjuvant.

Officials say Winnipeg has about 12,000 doses of vaccine with adjuvant and expects to receive about 8,000 more later this week.

The WRHA says the amount of adjuvant vaccine on hand is higher than originally estimated as a result of a large amount of vaccine being returned from some sites when staff clinics were cancelled. It also says many of the people vaccinated on Monday were children, who require only a half dose. Previously, the WRHA had announced temporary closures of clinics, before announcing they would re-open Wednesday.

The WRHA says clinics will remain open until the region runs out of vaccine for the week, possibly late Thursday or into Friday depending on turnout and supply of vaccine.

More information on the clinics is available on the WRHA's website.

Federal government sources say about 1.8 million vaccine doses, which includes those with and without adjuvant, are expected to go out to the provinces next week. The initial goal had been to send out about three million doses each week, beginning next week.

Officials say the H1N1 clinics will be eventually expanded to the rest of the public, but a date has not yet been set.

- with a report from CTV's Caroline Barghout