FREDERICTON - The New Brunswick government is backing away from a proposal to cancel free flu shots for people in certain high-risk groups after the idea generated strong public opposition.
Health Minister Madeleine Dube says she will now have to look for other ways to trim costs.
The government had proposed ending free flu shots for people with chronic illness, pregnant women and parents with children under the age of six.
It also wanted to eliminate payment for non-surgical treatment of skin lesions, but Dube said today it is not going to pursue that idea either.
The government estimated that cutting those services could have saved about $1 million a year.
Dube says serious public dialogue is needed on what health care services are required and how the province intends to pay for them.
