TORONTO — Nearly one in three Canadians have been vaccinated against the H1N1 virus, figures provided by provincial and territorial health authorities show.
Some jurisdictions have hit higher numbers, with the three northern territories reporting they have all vaccinated more than 50 per cent of their populations. But at the other end of the scale, Ontario has immunized roughly 25 per cent of its population.
The numbers are probably among the highest in the world so far, though even the World Health Organization is having difficulty tracking H1N1 vaccination uptake, a rapidly moving target.
But the Canadian average — roughly 32 per cent — is still only on a par with the percentage of Canadians who get seasonal flu shots each year. And it is well below what health officials hope to achieve with the pandemic vaccination effort.