B.C. health authorities will start immunizing people against H1N1 early next week, but not everyone will be eligible right away.

The vaccine will be administered in a phased approach provincially, with priority given to women over 20 weeks pregnant, people under 65 with chronic medical conditions, First Nations, and other residents living in remote areas.

"Starting next week those who would most benefit from the vaccine will now be eligible to receive it," Ida Chong, provincial minister of healthy living, said from a press conference in Victoria Wednesday.

"With B.C. in the midst of its second wave this is absolutely reassuring."

The second week will see the program expanded to include children six months to five-years-old, health care workers and home care workers and those with a compromised immune system.

The immunization campaign will be the largest in the province's history. Chong said within the next month all British Columbians who need and want the vaccine will be eligible to receive it.

Provincial medical health officer Dr. Perry Kendall said 230,000 doses of the vaccine arrived in B.C. earlier this week, and are currently being repackaged and shipped to communities based on their population. The province is expecting more on a weekly basis.

Kendall is asking British Columbians to respect the vaccine prioritization.

"Even if up to 10 per cent of the population have contracted H1N1 by the time the vaccine is available, that still means 90 per cent of the population are vulnerable and can benefit from being immunized."

Kendall also announced anyone who wants to get the seasonal flu vaccine at the same time as the H1N1 can do so safely.

"Instead of getting the shots two to three weeks apart it is now possible to get a shot in each arm and be protected against seasonal influenza and against pandemic influenza," he said.

Federal

Health Canada approved the H1N1 vaccine federally Wednesday morning.

"This means the adjuvanted vaccine has been judged safe and effective for use in Canada by the manufacturer, GlaxoSmithKline, as well as by Health Canada regulators," Health Minister Leona Aqlukkaq announced to reporters Wednesday.

Two million doses of the vaccine have already been shipped to the provinces and territories, with another 50.4 million doses on order.

Dr. David Butler-Jones, Canada's chief public health officer, encouraged all Canadians to get the vaccine, if not to protect themselves, then to protect those around them.

"Frankly, I don't want to be the cause of someone's serious illness of death," he said noting that recent data suggest that those under 25 are at highest risk of serious illness from this new virus.

He added that any side effect risks from the vaccine are remote.

"Serious adverse events following immunization are rare. For the seasonal flu shot, the rate of reported serious events is about one in every million people immunized. The benefits of immunization - the prevention of serious illness and death - far outweigh any theoretical risks," he said.

About 4,700 people worldwide have died of H1N1 to date. Of 83 deaths in Canada, nine are from B.C.

Another 300 or so Canadians have required care in intensive care in hospital.