An additional flu clinic will offer H1N1 vaccine, for priority groups only, tomorrow (Friday) at the Mel Lloyd Centre in Shelburne from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Meanwhile, the Orangeville clinic has been extended to December 23 at the shopping mall at the corner of West Broadway and Centre Streets, and to Tuesday, Dec. 29 and Wednesday, Dec. 30 at the health unit offices at 71 Broadway. The West Broadway clinic times are Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., and Thursdays, 1 p.m. to 8 p.m., while the Dec. 29-30 clinics will operate from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

The Wellington Dufferin Guelph (WDG) health unit says clinic schedules may change as the clinics are opened to the various priority groups.

Clinic information can be obtained by calling the unit's flu hotline at 1-800-265-7293, extension 4161.

With its current policy of delivering vaccine to residents who would benefit most from early vaccinations, the WDG has expanded its priority list to include police and firefighters.

Other than the police and firefighters, the WDG says the H1N1 shots will only be available to people who fall within these categories: Those under 65, including adults and children down to six months of age, who have chronic medical conditions, (a condition for which one is under the ongoing care of a physician and for which one is on an ongoing treatment regimen that nearly always includes chronic medication use); pregnant women; healthy children six months to five years of age; health care workers, as well as household contacts and care providers of persons at high risk who cannot be immunized or may not respond to vaccines.

While there has been an overwhelming demand for the vaccine, critics still say the provincial government could have been better prepared for its distribution.

"The government dropped the ball," said Dufferin- Caledon MPP and PC social services critic Sylvia Jones.

"Frankly, I believe they had a lot of time to prepare. We saw Australia already go through a similar situation, so we can't say were surprised it was coming."

So far, the local health unit has not responded to inquiries as to how many vaccinations have been given within its jurisdiction, which has a population of about 250,000.

Ms. Jones said that family doctors should have been more involved in the vaccine distribution. The WDG unit said, in a website release, that it has "distributed H1N1 vaccine to physicians who have placed their orders." Information on how many orders have been placed was unavailable at press time, since the unit was closed Wednesday for Remembrance Day.

"Until everyone who wants a vaccination gets one, I will not believe we are over the H1N1 hurdle," said Ms. Jones.