Demand for the H1N1 vaccine will outstrip supply for the next two weeks, according to the provincial health officer.
Dr. Perry Kendall said regional health authorities are expecting a shipment of 63,000 doses of the vaccine next week.
While health authorities estimate 800,000 British Columbians will be vaccinated in the first week of the campaign a shortage of doses means at-risk individuals will remain the top priority for clinicians.
"That's a fairly significant number considering on a yearly basis over a period of three to four months we vaccinate approximately 1.1 million people against the seasonal flu."
A batch of 25,000 H1N1 vaccine doses designed for pregnant women will be released sometime near the end of this week.
"There may be differences in how this rolls out in [one] community compared to another community in another part of the province," Kendall said. "I can guarantee, I think, that the approach we've been taking is the one health authorities believe is the way to reach their highest risk residents."
