Yellowknife (Sep 29/06) - Hypochondriacs beware - the flu vaccine is going to be late this year.

Manufacturers of the vaccine ran into trouble creating it and now they are nearly a month behind schedule, according to local health officials.

Flu vaccine clinics normally start the third week of October in Yellowknife. This year they will most likely begin in the middle of November, said Wanda White, communicable disease consultant with the government of the NWT.

Yellowknifers need not fear for their health, however. The city's 4,000 vaccines should arrive in time for people to get their shots before flu season hits around Christmas time.

"If the pattern of flu activity remains as previous years we should still be ahead of the game," said White.

When a new strain of the flu is discovered, vaccines have to catch up, she said.

The World Health Organization develops a seed version of the strain and sends it out to manufacturers. This year they all had trouble growing the newest strain, putting them behind schedule.

Canada gets its flu vaccines from three different companies. All three are in the same boat right now, said White.

"It's right across the country. It's not just the NWT," she said.

The vaccines may be late getting on their way this year, but once the vaccine arrives, new technology is going to speed things up.

"We're very lucky this year in that aspect," said White.

The vaccines come with a device that reads the temperature and ensures that they are kept at the proper temperature while en route, she said.

Normally, the device must be sent back to the manufacturers to be read, adding time to the process.

This year, the NWT department of health has the software to read it themselves, shaving a full two weeks off the process.

It is still not certain when the vaccines will arrive, but Laurie Parton, manager of public health in Yellowknife, said Yellowknifers will have no doubt when the flu clinics are being held.

"We'll be doing a massive advertising," she said.

She reminded residents being vaccinated against the flu is very important.

"You're protecting elderly, young babies, children, because the influenza can't take hold within the population and start spreading around," said Parton.