TORONTO - Some local health units in Ontario have opened their H1N1 clinics to school-aged children and others are ready and waiting for provincial approval to do the same, a clearance that's expected to come from the province Friday.

Flu clinics in Saskatchewan and Manitoba were opened to school children earlier this week and Dr. David McKeown, Toronto's medical officer of health, said the city is prepared to open its 10 flu clinics to school-age children.

McKeown said he expects to get the go-ahead from Ontario health officials Friday.

Ottawa's public health unit also said it expects the province to add school-age children to the priority list as early as this week.

Provincial officials would neither confirm nor deny the expanded program, saying only that Ontario's chief medical officer of health will likely hold a briefing Friday.

Ministry of Health spokesman David Jensen said the province has not yet advised any local health units to expand the vaccination programs.

"(But) they do know their areas the best, so if they have the sense that those populations have been well served, they can use their judgment."

The developments come as the Public Health Agency of Canada advised that healthy children over three probably won't need a second pediatric dose of H1N1 vaccine, as was previously recommended. The head of the agency, Dr. David Butler-Jones, said Thursday the move is good news for families and should help free up vaccine resources so more at-risk people can be protected.

In Ontario, the Halton Region and Grey Bruce Health units are providing immunizations to elementary and high school students, as well as those who are 65 and over. The London-area unit is including those over 65 with underlying conditions in the priority group.

Still, Toronto will comply with the guidelines for priority groups set out by the province, said McKeown.

Dr. Hazel Lynn, Grey Bruce medical officer of health, said she had been told by the ministry that the expanded rollout would start Nov. 9.

But after a shortfall of the vaccine was announced last week, the province postponed its expansion.

She said the northern areas were given more vaccine to start with, and the unit had already planned to dole out about 4,000 leftover doses ...[next page]