The chief public health officer, Dr. David Butler-Jones, says drug companies will be protected if there are problems with the vaccine - as long as the problems are not caused by malpractice.

That means the federal government - not the vaccine makers - would have to pay any damages awarded in court.

The Public Health Agency of Canada initially refused to say if Canada would shield drug companies from H1N1 flu vaccine lawsuits like the United States has done.

Vaccine makers in the U.S. have been protected from lawsuits over the use of childhood vaccines since the 1980s, and instead a federal court handles claims and decides who will be paid from a special fund.

Quebec is the only province with a no-fault compensation plan for harmful side-effects resulting from immunizations.