Canada's flu vaccine leftovers being sent overseas

A picture of a syringue and two flasks of Pandemrix A (H1N1) vaccine from Glaxo Smith Kline.

Bulk shipments of the main component of the H1N1 vaccine made at a Quebec plant are being exported to other countries, as Canadians line up for hours for the scarce influenza shots.

GlaxoSmithKline, which has the sole contract to supply Canada's flu vaccine, says it can produce more antigen than it can expeditiously put into vials for Canadians, and has been exporting excess amounts overseas.

Meanwhile, Canadians waited in long lines or were turned away Tuesday in the face of dwindling vaccine supplies and a resurgent virus. Alberta shut down its clinics over the weekend, and rolled out a revised vaccination strategy Tuesday. And there is concern in aboriginal communities: In Northern Ontario, they have received less vaccine than promised, while British Columbia's public health officials are unsure how many native people have been vaccinated.

The Globe on H1N1 In depth: A closer look at how the virus works H1N1 v. seasonal flu: How to tell the difference Discussion: Swine flu myth bustersAcross the country: Find a clinic near you Q&A: Our public health reporter answers your questions Resources: Reliable information from across the Web Full coverage: News, video and analyisis from the Globe's team Health officials and the Harper government faced more criticism of the stalling vaccination effort Tuesday, while the Auditor-General criticized the federal government for a lack of progress on planning for disasters and other pandemics.

The nation's chief public health officer on Tuesday reassured Canadians that they are not being shortchanged: This country has first access to all vaccine filled and packaged at the Quebec facility, David Butler-Jones said.

“The first priority for all of the vaccine is to get filled and distributed here in Canada. And if there's excess vaccine production that can't be filled here, then it goes offshore," Dr. Butler-Jones said.

He said there was a possibility of getting help to fill more vials for the liquid, but it would have affected the delivery of other vaccines. “It also was such a small amount that at the time it was viewed as not likely to help much," he said.

Vaccine is produced in three stages: bulk production and the formulation of the antigen, the active ingredient in vaccines; filling the vials; and quality control and packaging.

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