OTTAWA — With warnings that a third wave of the H1N1 flu outbreak is expected, health authorities across the country are starting to announce that anyone who wants the H1N1 flu shot will be able to get one.

The general release of the swine flu vaccine starts Thursday for anyone living in Ontario or Winnipeg. Priority group lists have been eliminated as officials say they are confident there is ample vaccine on hand.

Also, on Wednesday, Alberta announced that vaccination clinics there are expected to be open to all early next week. Starting Thursday, clinics will vaccinate any child 18 and under and their parents.

“I am very pleased that we are now able to offer the vaccine to anyone of any age, and of any health status, who wants it,” said Dr. Arlene King, Ontario’s chief medical officer at a news conference Wednesday in Toronto.

She warned that the flu does not go on holiday and urged everyone to get the shot, not only to protect themselves, but their loved ones.

“I want to remind everyone that the flu season lasts all season long,” she said. “The flu virus does not take a holiday. We cannot afford to lower our guard.”

Although the flu is no longer spreading fast in the community, Dr. Andre Corriveau, Alberta’s chief medical officer of health said the virus will continue to infect people, with a third wave of infection expected in the new year.

The warning was echoed in Montreal where public health officials said while the current wave of the pandemic appears to be cresting, at least 100 people a day continue to come down with the swine flu. Quebecers were warned to expect a third wave of H1N1 infections in the new year, reinforcing the view that the pandemic is far from over.

Dr. Richard Lessard, director of the Montreal Public Health Department, urged people to continue to line up for shots.

“The WHO is expecting a third wave,” he said.

“What we’ve learned is that the pandemic virus doesn’t last only a year. It lasts for 10 to 20 years, even 30 years. So it’s probably a good idea to get vaccinated now because it’s going to protect you in the long run. We do expect the third wave sometime in the next year. It’s better to get vaccinated now instead of getting the disease later.”

In Ontario, swine flu cases have peaked in some areas, but the risk of contracting the bug in the coming months remains real.

Typically during a regular flu season, family doctors and hospitals in Ontario see flu symptoms in 50 out of every 1,000 patients. But during this H1N1 flu season, that number has risen to 115 patients out of 1,000 patients, she said.

Since April, Ontario has recorded 76 swine flu-related deaths.

There have been a number of cases nationwide of people queue-jumping for the H1N1 flu vaccine, as some provinces still only make it available to high-priority groups including young children, seniors, and people with underlying conditions. The groups accused have included hockey teams, private school pupils and hospital staff.

On Wednesday a Winnipeg hospital came under scrutiny. Seven board members from the Misericordia Health Centre jumped the line for their shots. Only two had qualified as high-risk under Manitoba’s guidelines.

They were vaccinated at an internal hospital clinic which meant they did not have to stand in line for hours at one of Winnipeg’s many H1N1 vaccination clinics.

“In hindsight, this is something that wouldn’t happen again,” said Winnipeg Regional Health Authority spokeswoman Heidi Graham.

Meanwhile, the auditor general in Alberta announced Wednesday that an investigation will be launched into how the province handled the H1N1 vaccination program.

Alberta plans to open its clinics to all children under 18 and their parents starting Friday before they open to the general public early next week.

Corriveau said the province has close to 500,000 H1N1 doses right now, with a similar number expected to be delivered next week. So far, approximately 600,000 Albertans have received their shots.

Alberta has had a total of 43 flu-related deaths so far including one child and only one person who didn’t have chronic medical issues.

Also, in Quebec, health officers were looking into the death of an elderly man after he got a vaccination against H1N1 flu.

They said it was too early to determine whether the man, believed to be in his 80s, succumbed to underlying health conditions or whether the vaccine played a role in his death.

The man died sometime in the last three weeks, but the provincial health department refused to give details, citing confidentiality.

According to the Public Health Agency of Canada, there have been 198 H1N1 flu-related deaths across Canada.

With files from Montreal Gazette, Winnipeg Free Press and Edmonton Journal