A number of Americans showed up in Vancouver on Saturday to get a flu shot that isn't available to them in their own country.

"Today, we've been open since 9:30 a.m., we've had about 20 people come in. About 16 have been Americans," said Dr. Videsh Kapoor, of the Vancouver Airport Medical Clinic.

"We're just up to get flu shots," said Rebecca Goodstein, who flew up from Washington state. She has an autoimmune disease and says she couldn't get a flu shot at home.

"I'm very grateful to Canada. Thank you Canada," said her fellow American Michael Trigoboff.

"It was about $200 per person, but worth it," said Patricia Leonard, another American citizen.

However, Dr. John Blatherwick, Vancouver's chief medical health officer, isn't concerned about an American invasion.

"Even if ten, twenty thousand of them came up, we still would have more than enough vaccine," he said.

On Tuesday, it was announced that about half the U.S. supply of flu vaccine for this winter was contaminated and wouldn't be used.

It was manufactured by a British pharmaceutical company which had its licence suspended.

U.S. President George W. Bush has called on healthy Americans to forego a flu shot and to leave the vaccine for the most vulnerable -- the elderly and the very young.

However, the president's call has done little to temper demand amongst Americans. Long line-ups have been reported at flu clinics in the U.S.

Tommy Thompson, the U.S. secretary of health, has said it wis unlikely the U.S. would turn to Canada as a source of the vaccine.

But some Americans see Canada as a way to protect themselves -- even if it does involve travelling north.

A St. Stephens, N.B. doctor said he was getting 10 Americans for every Canadian seeking a flu shot. The Americans, from nearby Maine, were told their local doctor couldn't get a supply of flu vaccine.

Canada's health ministers, meeting in Vancouver Saturday, discussed the issue -- although federal Health Minister Ujjal Dosanjh said he wouldn't be getting involved.

"That's an issue I think the provinces have to deal with. The provinces regulate those kinds of issues and I'm going to leave that in the provincial domain," he told reporters. "We have enough supply to deal with any eventuality in Canada."

Speaking for his fellow provincial ministers, B.C. Health Minister Colin Hansen said: "We will be monitoring it very carefully. I know that every jurisdiction in Canada will be monitoring the demand on flu vaccines to make sure the needs of Canadians are being met."

Asked how low supply would have to go before the situation got critical, Hansen said: "That's advice we would take from our respective public health officers."

Ontario plans to ask for proof of residency at its flu clinics, which have been free of charge.

With three seniors dying of flu in an Edmonton nursing home, health officials there want to get vaccination programs started.

With a report from CTV's Sarah Galashan