The provincial government plans to buy enough vaccine to allow 45 per cent of Albertans to get their flu shots this fall.

Health Minister Fred Horne announced on Tuesday that the province plans to spend $12.5 million to buy more than 2 million doses of the flu vaccine.

The government purchased 1.3 million doses last year.

The province believes a 45 per cent immunization rate will reduce the number of hospital visits by 80 per cent.

About 1.1 million or 27 per cent of Albertans were immunized as of March 1.

In early January, Horne urged Albertans to get their flu shots following a surge in H1N1 cases. However, the supply of vaccine ran out by Jan. 10 forcing mass immunization clinics to close in Calgary and Edmonton.