Vaccinating Canadians against H1N1 is costing the country nearly twice as much as health officials expected and the tally could easily climb above $2-billion before the pandemic has subsided.

The national inoculation program is only a few weeks in, but $1.51-billion is already being spent, according to a review of estimates from federal, provincial and territorial governments. The actual figure is likely much higher because many provinces are still revising their costs while others have yet to release total estimates.

Even at $1.51-billion, the vaccination effort is proving far more expensive than health officials estimated. In September, provincial and territorial health ministers predicted the cost of buying the vaccine and delivering it at around $16 a dose, or $806-million in total based on the 50.4 million doses ordered. The total cost is currently running at about $30 a shot and climbing.

"You really have to ask serious questions about the cost-benefit," said Richard Schabas, Ontario's former chief medical officer of health who is now the medical officer of health for Ontario's Hastings and Prince Edward Counties Health Unit. "I think this is the most overhyped, overblown exercise I've ever been a part of. We continue to lavish resources on a problem that is just not that big."

Public health officials say costs have climbed because of an unexpected surge in demand for the vaccine and interruptions in supply. That forced many regional health authorities to open more clinics and alter distribution plans.

"We really, quite honestly, weren't expecting quite the lineups for vaccines," David Butler-Jones, Canada's Chief Public Health Officer, said in a recent interview.

via theglobeandmail.com

We never expected the line ups???? Pathetic