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11/5/2009
While flu clinics re-open today for young children, police are wondering when they'll get their shots, since they think they deserve priority attention.
Senior medical officer of health, Dr Gerry Predy says first responders like police are in a sub-group on the overall priority list compiled by health officials, just not at the top of the list like young children or pregnant women.
"They are not a part of the Public Health Agency of Canada list of priority groups but as soon as we have vaccine to get it to them we will," Predy sats, "We can't give a specific time because of the uncertainty of the supply."
Every Albertan is at risk of contracting H1N1 according to Chief medical officer of health Dr Andre Corriveau, who adds "When we're talking about risk we're talking about 'at risk' of developing severe disease like winding up in ICU or dying from it."
The Edmonton Police Commission has released an open letter to the Health Minister and Solicitor General expressing 'grave concerns' about the plan and asking for "priority access to H1N1 vaccine." (sj)
Edmonton Flu Clinic Locations
There are 6 locations for Edmonton parents to have their young ones vaccinated against the swine flu.
Commonwealth Stadium, Millbourne Mall, Westmount Centre, Bonnie Doon Mall, Rutherford Health Centre & Northgate Centre.
Strathcona County Health Centre in Sherwood Park and Grandin Mall in St. Albert are also offering the H1N1 shot. All parents will have to show proof of their children's ages, or they will be turned away.
NOTE: Alta Wrong Info!
There's more confusion in Alberta over who can get the H1N1 flu shot starting Thursday.
Alberta Health Services launched a newspaper ad campaign but health officials say it contains incorrect information about who can get the vaccine.
Dr. Gerry Predy, senior medical officer of health for Alberta Health Services, says the government agency will change the ads to make it more clear. The ad that ran in Alberta newspapers on Wednesday says children between the ages of six months and five years will get the flu shot.
But Predy says five-year-olds won't actually be eligible _ they must be under five as of Nov. 1st.
Liberal Leader David Swann, a former public health officer, says the slip-up is more evidence that Health Minister Ron Liepert cannot manage the vaccine's delivery. (CTV Edmonton)
(Flu & Flames)
Critics say something's fishy after a senior Alberta bureaucrat was fired for approving swine flu shots for Calgary Flames players and their families.
The inoculations happened late last week at a private location while thousands of other Albertans lined up at public clinics for their shots.
Alberta Health Services chairman Ken Hughes says the unidentified senior staffer committed ``a serious error in judgement.'' Alberta Health Minister Ron Liepert says the firing sends the message that favouritism won't be tolerated.
However, provincial Liberal Leader David Swann says the fired bureaucrat is a scapegoat. Swann, a medical doctor, says he thinks approval for the Flames' inoculation came from higher up the chain of command, adding Liepert should take responsibility for the controversy.
(Flu & TO's Pro Teams)
A report says some players and staff members of the NHL's Toronto Maple Leafs had been vaccinated against swine flu. But the Globe and Mail reports that the hockey club insists no preferential treatment was neither requested nor given.
The team refused to say how many players got the shot, and whether there were underlying health complications involved.
A statement from Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment says all professional athletes are considered high risk due to excessive contact with other players, heavy travel requirements and public exposure. The statement also says only certain players and staff have received the H1N1 vaccine.
But Canada's top doc refutes that, saying there's a difference between being at high risk of getting the flu, and of it causing serious illness or death. Doctor David Butler-Jones wrote in an e-mail to the newspaper that the priorities of who should be immunized first should fall to who is at greatest risk of severe disease and dying, not on who is more likely to be exposed.
The newspaper also reported some members of the NBA's Toronto Raptors -- another team owned by Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment -- received the shot. Ontario health officials have said they weren't aware of any professional athletes jumping the queue for the flu shot. (The Globe & Mail)
(Flu & Convicts)
Prisoners' rights advocates want inmates to get priority treatment with the H1N1 flu vaccine.
Their supporters argue that there's a greater risk of convicts spreading the virus and that vaccinating them first would help all Canadians. The plea comes amid a controversy in Quebec which saw the provincial health minister ordering a stop to a priority vaccination drive when he learned some inmates were getting faster treatment.
Canada's corrections service says convicts in federal institutions will be treated like everyone else -- no better or worse. But one prisoners' advocate says with the close quarters and elevated levels of contact in prisons, inmates stand a better chance of getting and spreading the virus.
Craig Jones of the John Howard Society of Canada says he's concerned that as the prison population grows, the infectious environment will grow as well.
Correctional Service of Canada official Jillian Pranger says the prison system is following Health Canada guidelines and convicts are being vaccinated in the same manner as everybody else. That would mean convicts with pre-existing conditions like heart disease would have a priority in getting their flu shots.
(Flu Vaccine Costs)
That swine flu shot isn't coming cheap.
More details of the total price tag of the pandemic vaccine program emerged Wednesday. They show the cost is heading towards $500 million _ and all the bills aren't tallied yet.
In addition to the previously announced $403 million for the vaccine, Ottawa will spend another $78 million on related costs incurred by Health Canada, the Public Health Agency of Canada, and the Canadian Food Inspection Agency. The figure was included in the 2009-10 supplementary budget estimates tabled Wednesday by Treasury Board President Vic Toews.
That $78 million will cover the cost of developing emergency and strategic plans, surveillance and outbreak management, communications, overtime and standby pay for regulatory and lab staff, and planning ahead and rapid research. Related provincial costs were not provided but are sure to cost millions of dollars more.
(Flu in Ont.)
Some immunization clinics in Ontario may have to close in the next few days because the province's vaccine supply is expected to run out by the end of the week.
Health Minister Deb Matthews can't say when each health unit is expected to run dry but says the situation means many in the high priority groups won't get their flu shot for a while.
Ontario had enough vaccine to immunize 2.2 million residents but the province estimates there are 3.4 million people in the high-risk group.
The province does have 86,000 doses of the unadjuvanted vaccine intended for pregnant women. The prime minister says 1.8 million doses of the regular H1N1 vaccine will be shipped to all the provinces next week, but health officials don't know how much of that is coming to Ontario.
Ontario has had 37 swine-flu related deaths since April, including an infant and two seniors from the London area. More than 100 people have been hospitalized and 65 are in intensive care.
(Flu & Pets)
While Canadians line up to get an H1N1 flu shot for themselves, they may need to keep in mind some of their pets may also be susceptible to the disease.
US officials confirm a cat was infected and has since recovered from swine flu. A couple of ferrets also in the US caught the swine flu from their owners and one of the animals died.
Doctor Scott Weese, a zoonotic diseases expert at the University of Guelph, says the animal cases underscore the need for pet owners to realize that pets are part of the household microbiologically -- not just socially. He says there are no hard data on which species of pets are vulnerable to H1N1 influenza, which carries a mix of human, avian and swine flu genes.
But Weese says ferrets, which are often used as a research model for human infectious diseases, are likely the pets most vulnerable to certain flu strains.
(Flu Scam Warning!)
Health Canada and the Competition Bureau have issued a new warning about H1N1 flu scams. They are urging Canadians not to purchase products claiming to fight or prevent swine flu.
Health Canada said on its website late Wednesday it is working with the Competition Bureau and the RCMP ``to address unauthorized products, including those with fraudulent claims to treat or prevent the H1N1 flu virus.'' Health Canada said it has only authorized three products _ the H1N1 vaccine Arepanrix, and the antiviral drugs Tamiflu (oseltamivir) and Relenza (zanamivir).
As well, it said the distribution of 200,000 doses of unadjuvanted H1N1 vaccine Panvax from Australia has been authorized for use in pregnant women. Health Canada said it is monitoring the Internet and will take action against Canadian websites selling unauthorized products for the treatment or prevention of the H1N1.
On the Net:
HC-SC.gc.ca: Health Canada
(Flu Round-up by Neena Chowdhury, Bill Marshall and Graham Clark w/The Canadian Press, Toronto Globe & Mail, ccg)
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