Additional H1N1 clinic to serve Calgary

After widespread criticism of hours-long lineups,health officials will open a fifth swine-flu vaccination clinic Wednesdayat the Olympic Oval in Calgary, specifically for high-risk groups.

The clinic at the University of Calgary will cater to pregnant women, children aged six months to less than 10 years, seniors, and family members accompanying those patients, Alberta Health Services announced Tuesday.

Officials are now halting the seasonal flu vaccine at the clinics to focus on delivering the H1N1 shot to as many Calgarians as possible, "as efficiently as possible," the organization said in a news release.

Community health centres in Calgary will temporarily close as of 5 p.m. Tuesday until further notice so that the vaccination clinics can be fully staffed.

Health officials scrambled to meet the overwhelming demand for theswine-flu shot as lineups averaging three hourscontinued at Calgary's four mass vaccination clinics for a second day on Tuesday.

Gordon Mitchell got into the lineup at the southeast Avenida Village mall at 7:30 a.m. as it snaked around the edges of the parking lot.

"I don't know how they planned," Mitchell said. "Obviously, they didn't plan this. They've taken nothing into account. Handicapped people, old people, pregnant mothers they're not going to stand in this kind of temperature for five hours."

Leona LaChance, wearing a heavy coat and tuque, waited in line with her husband and baby son for more than four hours.

"It's cold," she said. "It's been a trying of patience. Just standing out here in this weather has been ridiculous. This could have been completely avoided if there was some planning and forethought."

In announcing 11 new clinics across the province, Alberta Health Minister Ron Liepert apologized Tuesday for the frustrating waits.

Nurses in Calgary vaccinated 8,064 people Monday, but officials had to cut off the lineups at 5 p.m. and extend operating hours to 11 p.m., three hours after the scheduled closing.

Alberta Health Services has added 15 vaccination stations to the existing four clinic locations.

"We will continue to add further vaccination stations to Calgary's five clinics as our staff vaccination program is completed," Alberta Health Services said.

The next shipment of vaccine is expected to arrive Thursday, prompting the province to allow doctors who wish to give the shots in their offices to place orders.

Almost 400 pharmacists who have been certified to give swine flu shots should be able to get the vaccine early next week, Liepert said.