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Health officials consider offering H1N1 vaccine to all

By: Staff Writer

17/11/2009 4:05 PM | Comments: 7

A health worker prepares an H1N1flu vaccination at a clinic in Barcelona, Spain. Spain just began its nationwide vaccination campaign Monday; shots are now available to high-risk groups like people with chronic diseases, pregnant women, health care workers, and government employees such as police and firefighters.

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A health worker prepares an H1N1flu vaccination at a clinic in Barcelona, Spain. Spain just began its nationwide vaccination campaign Monday; shots are now available to high-risk groups like people with chronic diseases, pregnant women, health care workers, and government employees such as police and firefighters. (CP)

WINNIPEG - Provincial health officials will decide first thing Wednesday morning whether to recommend opening up H1N1 flu vaccination clinics to all.

The Burntwood RHA, which includes the city of Thompson, on Tuesday removed restrictions on who could be vaccinated.

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In recent days, the number of people attending Winnipeg immunication clinics -- particularly in the morning --  has dropped considerably. As of noon, a total of 915 individuals were vaccinated today in Winnipeg — far fewer than in days over the past few weeks.

The Winnipeg Regional Health Authority said in a press release that the clinics were "reporting virtually no wait times" today, and it urged members of priority groups to go and get the shot.

The priority groups include:

  • Children aged six months to under 18 years old;
  • Anyone of Aboriginal ancestry;
  • Disadvantaged individuals (for example, the homeless);
  • People living in remote or isolated areas;
  • People under 65 with a chronic medical condition or other risks including severe obesity, substance abuse or alcoholism;
  • Anyone of any age with a weakened immune system or those who live with or care for them;
  • Those who live with or care for infants under six months old;
  • Single parents or anyone solely responsible for a dependent;
  • Health-care workers and medical first responders; and
  • Pregnant women.

So far, 134,744 have been vaccinated for H1N1 in the city since the start of the campaign.

History

Updated on Tuesday, November 17, 2009 at 4:06 PM CST:
Updates with information about when decision will be made.

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7 Commentscomment icon

No thanks.
You probably want to check out what's happening in the Ukraine right now.

Talk about organized confusion--the procedures and who would be considered has been a nightmare from Day 1. Now parents are to take their children in to be vaccinated but the parents can't get the shot. ( Now parents can be done at the same time.) Health authorities could have obtained the enrolment from Public Schools Finance Board on the total enrolment of every school in the Province, had the parents authorize the vaccination to be given to their children,go to a school with the number of health care workers needed and vaccinate the whole school. If parents could make arrangements to be in attendance they could have notified the school and everyone could have their H1N1 shot. Have 3,4, or 5 workers go to the population rather than have everyone run to the H1N1 clinic. This could have saved everyone time and money. The organizers should be ashamed of how this has been set up, I doubt they could organize a one man band.

About time!

Well, it's about time! People on the priority list have had three weeks to decide to go and get their shots. Originally health officials were stressing the importance of everyone having "The Shot" -- strange how much less we hear that now that the total chaos of the non-system is clear. I blame Health Canada for this travesty, and I feel very sorry for the front-line workers who have to deal with frustrated and worried people. If this flu were more deadly, the death toll would be climbing rapidly -- there must be a more effective distribution system developed before we are surprised by a truly lethal pandemic.

i went today. the priority people have had long enough to go. i went at noon and there was no line and very few people inside. the staff looked bored. big deal.

They should open it to ALL WHO WANT IT....the ever changing priority list seems more like some government hack is spinning a wheel in a back room in order to come up with the latest priority than on hard evidence.

How do they expect to vaccinnate all of the people who will come through the doors when they can't vaccinate children, the elderly & those who have an underlying condition?
Ridiculous...

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