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Premier orders probe after Calgary Flames score flu shots while public waits

Alberta Health Minister Ron Liepert wants to know if swine flu shots were “inappropriately diverted” to the Calgary Flames while thousands of others were forced to stand in line for hours.
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CALGARY — Alberta Health Minister Ron Liepert wants to know if swine flu shots were “inappropriately diverted” to the Calgary Flames while thousands of others were forced to stand in line for hours.

The minister says the vaccine would only be diverted with the approval of the chief medical officer of health, but he doesn’t know if that was the case.

Liepert says he doesn’t know where the NHL team got its vaccine, but he confirmed that Alberta Health is the only supplier in the province.

Health officials have launched an investigation into the special clinic, which was held for the players and their families Friday.

Team president Ken King says the club contacted Alberta Health Services and asked for the clinic.

Alberta’s opposition parties say professional hockey players shouldn’t be getting the vaccine ahead of cancer patients and pregnant women.