The H1N1 vaccine will be available to residents of the territory beginning Monday, Oct. 26.

Dr. Brendan Hanley, the Yukon's medical health officer, made the announcement this morning.

He urged health care workers, pregnant women, children, first nations people and those with underlying health issues to get vaccinated.

Starting Monday morning, the territory's health department will roll out its H1N1 immunization campaign.

In Whitehorse, health officials will adminster the vaccine at the Canada Games Centre and those outside Whitehorse can receive a swine flu shot at their local community health centres.

"This is a different influenza, affecting young people,” said Hanley of who is most at risk.

"To date, the burden has been on those with underlying medical conditions, pregnant women and children.”

While in past years, the number of Yukon residents vaccinated for seasonal flu peaked at 7,200, the territory is in possession of 55,000 H1N1 vaccinations and Hanley anticipates more people will opt to be immunized.

This morning, Health Canada authorized the release of the vaccine, and Canada's medical health officers followed by endorsing the use of the vaccine in their own jurisdictions.

When asked why the Yukon is waiting until Monday to begin vaccinating, Hanley said there is not the same urgency as in other places like the the N.W.T., where four more cases were reported this morning.

"It's also gives us time to inform people and to get personnel in place to administer the vaccine in the communities,” Hanley added.

To date, there have been "a handful” of lab-confirmed H1N1 cases in the Yukon.

Hanley would only say these cases occurred in Whitehorse and two outlying communities and that they appeared in "youth and young adults.”

"There's a real anxiety about stigmatizing communities” by reporting new cases, Hanley said. "Very likely, H1N1 is circulating in several communities; it just hasn't been confirmed.”

For more information on H1N1 and the vaccination, Hanley recommends visiting www.fightflu.ca.