Shot may be late for many

H1N1: Virus widespread in Grey-Bruce

Posted By DENIS LANGLOIS SUN TIMES STAFF

Posted 3 months ago

Grey-Bruce's top doctor says she is hopeful the local health unit will have enough doses of the H1N1 vaccine to inoculate the general public by week's end, even though it could be too late for most people.

Medical officer of health Dr. Hazel Lynn said the H1N1 virus is "widespread" in the area and will infect many more people before immunity by vaccine can kick in.

"If we wanted to have a real impact on this, we would have needed (the vaccine) about a month earlier," she said in an interview yesterday.

The Grey-Bruce Health Unit has received 25,000 doses of the H1N1 vaccine, including a second shipment of 9,000 that arrived Friday. The agency ordered 70,000 doses, which is enough to vaccinate roughly half the population of Grey-Bruce.

Despite national and provincial vaccine shortages, the local health unit has not had to cancel clinics or turn people away due to a lack of doses.

However, like elsewhere in Canada, only people in priority groups have been eligible to receive the vaccine. They include people under age 65 with chronic medical conditions, pregnant women, young children and health-care workers.

Lynn said she hopes restrictions will change as early as Saturday, when a four-hour community clinic is scheduled at the health unit. She said the province's chief medical officer of health must approve a clinic expansion first.

Health unit spokesman Drew Ferguson said H1N1 clinics will be expanded to include school-age children once more doses arrive, followed by the general population.

More than a thousand people lined up for the H1N1 vaccine at the health unit's inaugural community clinic Thursday.

A second community clinic, held yesterday in Owen Sound, attracted a much smaller crowd, fueling hope future clinics will be expanded to include everyone.

The local situation is in contrast to news reports of Ontarians cramming clinics, health units and community centres and lining up for hours to receive the shot. Some cities have implemented a take-a-number or bracelet system to handle large crowds.

Provincial vaccine shortages and a handful of recent deaths attributed to H1N1 has sparked concern about the availability of the shot for healthy children, adults and seniors.

There is also concern about the vaccine's safety and its side effects. The immune system-booster Squalene, an adjuvant never used before in Canadian flu vaccines, and the preservative Thimerosal have both sparked worry, even though federal health officials say both materials are safe.

Owen Sound resident Heather Galbraith said she was reluctant to have her two children, five and 20 months, vaccinated due to worry about the shot's safety. However, she said, she is more concerned about her children becoming infected with H1N1 and developing serious illness.

"I just decided to get it because I hear people on the news dying," she said, as she left the public health unit's H1N1 clinic yesterday morning.

A 13-year-old Toronto boy and 10-year-old Cornwall girl have both died of the H1N1 virus in recent days.

Eleven community vaccine clinics are scheduled for across Grey-Bruce this month.

Visit www.publichealthgreybruce.on.caor

call 519-376-9420 for a complete list. The Owen Sound Family Health Team is also offering clinics today and Wednesday at the Owen Sound Professional Building for patients of physicians that belong to the team.

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