Canada hasn’t been off to the smoothest start in H1N1 vaccine preparation.

Already, more than 120 Canadians have died from the virus.

In Alberta, where being over the age of five and standing in line for hours at a time was the only criteria for getting the shot, short supplies meant most people, namely the high risk group, would have to chance getting the virus.

The pregnant mother or the kid with asthma, who is in the greatest danger of the virus are not at the top of the short list of vaccine recipients.

Who is at the top of the list? Wealthy people who donate money to private clinics and hockey players come to mind.

Not that they don’t deserve it. After all, lining up with all those regular people would be a waste their valuable time.

It wasn’t only in Alberta, the vaccine was in short supply all over the country.

And with good reason; the only supplier for Canada was busy making the seasonal flu vaccine that federal legislation stated they had to finish first before starting on the H1N1 vaccine.

No problems there, except maybe the one about priorities. With over a hundred deaths in Canada from something that is spreading around the world shouldn’t contract for the H1N1 vaccine have gone to a few manufacturers, rather than a single one?

Why not have as many factories churning out vaccines as possible?

What if there was a power outage or natural disaster that halted the production in that one factory?

If the whole country was vaccinated already it might have reduced some of those people who have already died from virus.

Alberta has had at least 25 deaths from H1N1 and Premier Ed Stelmach still defends the long lines and free for all distribution.  He says that it’s every Albertan’s right to get the shot.

Really though, it should be those with high-risk potential to get the vaccine first in times when supply is short. That might help save a few of those lives.