Winnipeg Free Press - PRINT EDITION
Manitoba considers options for huge H1N1 vaccine surplus
MANITOBA'S stockpile of H1N1 vaccine could sit in a warehouse for several more months before health officials make a firm decision on whether to keep the extra shots or donate them to a place in need.
Provincial officials have been unclear about what to do with Manitoba's excess vaccine since infections from the second wave of H1N1 dropped off in January.
Gerry Delorme, director of Manitoba Health's office of disaster management, said provinces are still trying to reach consensus over what portion of the H1N1 stockpiles are still required and what could be sent to other parts of the world. Delorme said the decision-making process has been slow since officials don't want to hastily determine the flu threat has subsided, only to be caught with no supply in the event of a third wave this spring.
Manitoba committed last summer to buy about one million doses of vaccine and more than 450,000 Manitobans have been vaccinated against H1N1 since mass clinics last fall. Another 362,000 doses are sitting in a classified warehouse in Winnipeg in special cold-storage to ensure they remain usable.
About 100,000 surplus doses are sitting in doctor's offices and health regions across the province. Another 90,000 doses were wasted, either by accident or to avoid contamination.
"It's never an all-or-nothing solution," Delorme said. "What we're having to grapple with is what is an appropriate amount to keep for an emergency."
In Manitoba, no new cases of H1N1 influenza have been reported since late January.
Delorme said the vaccine has a lifespan of 18 months, which gives officials time to weigh their options and see whether or not a third flu wave surfaces. He expects the province will hang on to a portion of its vaccine stockpile and donate the rest to a country in need.
Provinces don't decide which countries receive extra doses, Delorme said, noting the federal government will likely consult with the World Health Organization to determine where doses will be sent. Delorme said the first priority is to protect Manitobans against infection, and that it's too early to say when they'll be able to make a final decision.
jen.skerritt@freepress.mb.ca
Republished from the Winnipeg Free Press print edition March 20, 2010 A5
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