IQALUIT - Chief medical officer Isaac Sobol said the Department of Health and Social Services will offer people both the H1N1 flu vaccine and the regular flu vaccine at the same time starting Nov. 1.

"This is the first mass vaccination program in Nunavut's history," Sobol said. "The government of Nunavut is spending more than $1.4 million to provide the opportunity for every person in Nunavut to be protected against the H1N1 virus and the seasonal flu virus this fall and winter."

At schools and community halls, mass vaccination clinics across the territory will administer both vaccines to whoever wants them - one shot in each arm.

"Five teams including three nurses and support staff will travel simultaneously throughout our regions to administer the vaccine," he said. "They've joined forces with health centre staff in each hamlet to run the mass vaccination clinics which will begin Nov. 1."

The time-frame involved is short. Sobol anticipated the clinics will be finished their trip through Nunavut by Nov. 15, about two weeks in all with teams working evenings and weekends as well.

Nunavut hasn't had any confirmed cases of seasonal flu yet, but other parts of Canada have, Sobol said.

According to Sobol, pregnant women will receive a special vaccine without adjuvant - chemicals that increase the immune system's response to the vaccine - as the regular vaccine has not been tested for women who are pregnant. Everyone else will get the vaccine including the adjuvant, which includes natural oils and Vitamin E.

Children under the age of 10 will get their flu shots in two parts, at least three weeks apart. Sobol said after the first shot children will have a partial immunity to H1N1, but they'll need the second shot to be fully protected.

Sobol said people who get flu shots are protecting themselves, but also protecting others because people who are immune won't infect others.

"I urge you to please, in this special time of a flu pandemic, get your flu shots to keep yourself and all Nunavummiut healthy," he said.