Â鶹´«Ã½ has learned that Health Canada could approve the swine flu vaccine in the next few days, meaning some Canadians could potentially be vaccinated by the end of the week.
Even if the vaccine is approved this week, some provinces will not begin vaccinations until November 1.
Earlier on Sunday, Federal Health Minister Leona Aglukkaq said that two different versions of the H1N1 vaccine will be available by early November, one of which has been fully tested for safe use on pregnant women.
Health officials have ordered 50.4 million doses of H1N1 vaccine containing an adjuvant additive, a compound that is supposed to make the vaccine more effective. Another 1.8 million doses of the H1N1 vaccine, without the adjuvant, are also on the way.
But the newer, adjuvant version has not been fully tested for use on pregnant women. Health officials have said the other vaccine will be made available to that group as a precautionary measure.
Some provincial health officials have warned that the non-adjuvant vaccine could arrive up to two weeks later than the alternative version.
Aglukkaq denied those claims, reiterating that both should arrive around the same time.
"Based on what we're seeing right now, we remain on schedule to get the vaccine to the provinces for early November," she told Â鶹´«Ã½ Channel on Sunday.
Either version is safe for pregnant women, she said, and they will be able to choose between the two.
But if the non-adjuvant version arrives later, infectious diseases specialist Neil Rau said it may be better for pregnant women to opt for the new adjuvant vaccine.
"What we're seeing here is sooner is better to get the vaccine, whatever vaccine it is," he said.
It's particularly important for pregnant women with underlying medical problems to get the shot as soon as possible, he added.
Rau's advice is consistent with recent comments by Dr. David Butler-Jones, Canada's public health officer.
"At the end of the day, if you're in the middle of the pandemic, whatever vaccine is available, I would take it to protect myself and my fetus," Butler-Jones said last week.
Some hospitals have already begun screening pregnant women for the illness.
The pharmaceuticals company contracted to produce the vaccine for Canada, GlaxoSmithKline, has released a statement saying it would meet Ottawa's deadlines to deliver the vaccine.
Federal health officials are scheduled to hold a news conference on the H1N1 flu virus on Monday.
