Dr. Chris Mackie, associate medical officer of health, said officials are confident Hamilton will have enough vaccine doses to distribute to any resident who wants a shot.

“At this point the supply will hold out,” said Dr. Mackie.

The city began the expanded flu shot criteria Nov. 17.

Federal health officials said this week they have distributed “several million” doses of vaccine, and another 3 million doses are scheduled to be shipped out, to the provinces next week.

Along with Hamilton, Niagara and Haldimand-Norfolk health officials are also vaccinating all their residents.

Mackie said after the initial introduction of the vaccine last month which included long lines, and two-hour wait times, the clinics have been free of line-ups.

Even when the city expanded its high-priority criteria late last week to young children and people over the age of 65 with existing medical problems, Mackie said health officials didn’t see a further increase in the number of people using the clinics.

Health officials say there remains enough capacity and health-care providers to assure everybody will be able to get a shot.

Officials say residents should expect to spend at least half an hour inside the clinic.

Since Hamilton began providing the shots, health-care officials have vaccinated by Nov. 14. over 33,000 people, while providing 15,200 doses to area hospitals, and 32,850 doses to family physicians, and another 7,760 doses to other health care facilities.

Clinics open

The flu clinics are open from 1-7 p. m., including Saturday, Nov. 20, at Jackson Square, Dundas Baptist Church, Chedoke TwinPadArena, St. Helen’s SchoolandValley Park Arena in Stoney Creek.

Meanwhile, Dr. Mackie said Hamilton health officials have been managing how they store the city’s vaccine doses, and he hasn’t heard about batches being tossed away. He said the H1N1 vaccine is stable at room temperature for about 24 hours. Health officials have been distributing the doses within the time period without problems of having to throw out any batches.

Health officials in Toronto and Halifax have stated they have had to throw out about one per cent of their total vaccines.

They say there is little information about the stability of the vaccine once it has been reconstituted and drawn into a syringe. After it has been in the syringe, it can’t be returned to the vial, they say.