British Columbia- Novel H1N1 Vaccine Availability

[Pathfinder]

H1N1 vaccine arrives in B.C., but shots at least two weeks away

By Amy O’Brian and Meagan Fitzpatrick , Vancouver Sun
October 19, 2009 5:05 PM







The H1N1 vaccine has arrived in B.C., though shots are likely two weeks away.

British Columbia received its first shipment of the H1N1 vaccine over the weekend, but it will likely be another two weeks before people can start rolling up their sleeves for the shot.

The vaccine still needs Health Canada’s final approval and must still be prepared for final distribution.

Dr. Perry Kendall, B.C.’s provincial health officer, said the vaccine has to be divided into smaller lots, labelled and re-packaged, and clinics have to be organized throughout the province.

Kendall said it is unlikely the vaccine will be injected into anyone’s arm sooner than the first week of November, which is on target with national plans.

“Just having crates of vaccine doesn’t mean you can start a program,” Kendall said Monday.

“That’s the first step.”

The vaccine is being stored under tight security at the Vancouver headquarters of the BC Centre for Disease Control. Because it is already in the province, the vaccine’s distribution will be relatively fast once Health Canada authorizes its use.

Health Minister Leona Aglukkaq said Monday that Health Canada is reviewing data and once it is confident the vaccine is safe and effective, it will be released for immediate use.

Two million doses of the vaccine have been distributed to the provinces and territories so far. More doses will be shipped as they roll off the production line at GlaxoSmithKline’s factory in Quebec, where the vaccine is being manufactured.

Distributing the vaccine before its final approval is part of good planning, Aglukkaq said, and will allow the process to move more quickly than if the vaccine was shipped out only after approval was given.

The second wave of the H1N1 virus hit B.C. a couple of weeks ago, raising questions about the timeliness of the vaccine’s arrival. Eight people in B.C. have died from the flu and 78 people with lab-confirmed cases of H1N1 have been hospitalized.

Health officials in other provinces are reporting milder H1N1 activity and have yet to declare the arrival of the second wave of the flu.

Those who have had lab-confirmed cases of H1N1 are immune to the virus, but Kendall recommends everyone else get the vaccine when it becomes available.

“It won’t hurt you to get the vaccine, even if you had H1N1,” he said.
The vaccine is not a live virus, but it is composed of killed virus particles, Kendall said, and might make people feel slightly ill for up to a couple of days.

The vaccine’s adjuvant — an immune-boosting additive — could also contribute to some additional discomfort, Kendall said.

“The adjuvant causes a little bit of pain and swelling, more than you would expect with a normal flu vaccine,” he said.

“And as it produces the immune response, you can feel a little bit run down with a headache and feel some aches that last for a day or two.”

The first batch of vaccine that has been shipped out to the provinces and territories does not include any of the non-adjuvanted vaccine that has been recommended for pregnant women.

There is not a lot of clinical data on the use of adjuvanted vaccines in pregnant women and, as a result, they are advised to take a vaccine without the booster, if one is available. However, federal officials say there is no reason to believe the adjuvanted vaccine is not safe, and ordering a non-adjuvanted vaccine is a precautionary measure — one that most other countries are not taking.

It is not clear when the non-adjuvanted vaccine will be made available.

http://www.vancouversun.com/H1N1+vaccine+arrives+shots+least+weeks+away/2121175/story.html

[B.C.]

Re: British Columbia- Novel H1N1 Vaccine Availability

http://www.vancouverite.com/2009/10/19/swine-flu-vaccine-arrives-in-infested-b-c/

Swine Flu Vaccine arrives in infested B.C.
vaccine arrives in B.C.

By Salim Jiwa

VANCOUVER, B.C. ? With B.C. in the grip of a major Swine Flu outbreak, the first batch of vaccine has landed at the B.C. Center for Disease Control, Vancouverite has confirmed.

Ratinder Harry, a spokeswoman for BCCDC said vaccination and initial distribution to various health authorities will not begin until regulatory licence is issued by Health Canada.

Harry said BCCDC took delivery of the first of several batches over the weekend.

The earliest vaccination can start is November, she said. Meantime, the vaccine will be in cold storage.

?We will get supplies in several batches so whoever wants it and needs it will get it,? she said.

B.C. is in the midst of a major outbreak of Swine Flu already and currently is registering higher figures of illness than the rest of Canada. The NWT area is also experiencing a surge.

A special report obtained by Vancouverite shows nearly 15 per cent of visits to Children?s Hospital between Oct. 4 and Oct. 10 was for flu like symptoms assumed to be Swine Flu.

As well, Sentinel physicians have recorded a historic peak in number of people coming in with FLI. Medical Services Plan billing for flu like illness, also assumed to be Swine Flu, have reached another historic peak as well.

More than 350 tested positive for Swine Flu between Oct. 4 and Oct. 10.

B.C. has registered 78 hospitalizations from Swine Flu with about 26 being sent to ICU.

Children under 2 have the highest rate of hospitalization while children aged 2 to 9 have the second highest rate of admission.

Eight people have died so far from Swine Flu in B.C.

[Pathfinder]

Re: British Columbia- Novel H1N1 Vaccine Availability

B.C. set to begin H1N1 vaccinations once feds give OK

Medical health officer says earlier shots would have been better

By Ian Austin, The Province
October 20, 2009 6:49 AM

B.C. now has about 200,000 doses of H1N1 vaccine and expects to start immunizing high-risk patients in the first week of November.

Dr. Perry Kendall, B.C.'s provincial health officer, said government approval and several logistical requirements still have to be in place before the vaccine will be made available here.

"We'd like to vaccinate people as soon as we can," Kendall told The Province. "We can't vaccinate until we have federal approval, until the vaccine has been mixed, until there are pamphlets and labelling and training."

Kendall downplayed concerns that British Columbians are already contracting H1N1, while conceding that in an ideal world the vaccinations would take place before the population is exposed to swine flu.

"Even if 10 per cent of the people have been affected, it still leaves 90 per cent of the population," he said.

Kendall said that, when the vaccine is approved and ready to be administered, those at highest risk -- and those who look after them -- will be first in line for immunization.

"Our top priorities are children under five, pregnant women, those under 65 with chronic health conditions, and front-line health workers," said Kendall, who noted that those 65 and over are considered to have been exposed to the swine-flu virus early in their lives.

Kendall said the shipments are being unpacked and readied for distribution across the province. The vaccine is being sent across the country in advance of official federal approval so that the vaccines are in place and ready to be administered as soon as health approvals are finalized.

The World Health Organization declared in June that the world was in the grips of a swine-flu pandemic, with illness and deaths reported in various countries and on various continents.

Doctors have told B.C. flu sufferers to assume they have contracted H1N1, and to stay home from work and/or school in an attempt to prevent the spread of swine flu. Frequent washing of hands can also help protect against contracting the flu.

http://www.theprovince.com/health/begin+H1N1+vaccinations+once+feds+give/2122424/story.html

[Pathfinder]

Re: British Columbia- Novel H1N1 Vaccine Availability

H1N1 vaccine available October 26

by Contributed - Oct 21, 2009


Following today's approval by Health Canada regulators, the pandemic H1N1 influenza vaccine will be made available to British Columbians beginning the week of Oct. 26, announced Minister of Healthy Living and Sport Ida Chong and Provincial Health Officer Dr. Perry Kendall.

"Now that the H1N1 flu vaccine has been approved, I encourage British Columbians to get immunized and protect themselves against this novel flu virus," said Kendall. "Even if some of the population has already contracted H1N1 so far, we know that most British Columbians have not been infected yet and can still benefit from receiving the vaccine to protect themselves."

The first batch of vaccine has arrived in British Columbia and is currently being distributed around the province to regional health authorities, based on population numbers in each region.

Beginning Monday, it will be available first to those people who would benefit most from immunization: individuals under 65 years of age with chronic disease, pregnant women and individuals - including First Nations people - living in remote or isolated communities. These groups are at high-risk for suffering complications from pandemic H1N1 infection.

"B.C. will receive the H1N1 vaccine shipments in phases. Our plan is to first immunize those individuals considered to be at most risk to ensure that more vulnerable groups are protected," said Chong. "During this time, we would ask that those people who are not at highest risk to wait until mid-November to get immunized when we receive our full orders."

The pandemic H1N1 vaccine is an adjuvanted vaccine. Adjuvants are compounds that boost the immune system's response to vaccine, allowing smaller doses to be used per person. A version of the H1N1 vaccine without adjuvant will also be available in B.C. beginning the second week of November.

While the unadjuvanted H1N1 vaccine is recommended for pregnant women, the adjuvanted version, available early next week, is approved for everyone who wants to protect themselves from this pandemic.

Once clinics begin next week, British Columbians who fall into the high-risk groups listed above who need and want the H1N1 vaccine, and for whom the seasonal flu shot is also recommended, will be able to receive both at the same time.

"The national expert committees that are providing guidance on the use of the pandemic vaccines have recommended that giving seasonal and pandemic vaccines together is not expected to affect the immune response to either one. This is in keeping with what we know about almost all other vaccines." said Dr. Monika Naus, director of immunization at the BC Centre for Disease Control, an agency of the Provincial Health Services Authority. "By getting the seasonal and pandemic vaccines together, the risk from both sorts of influenza can be reduced at the same time."

When B.C.'s seasonal influenza campaign launched in mid-October, the seasonal flu shot was only recommended for seniors and those living in long-term care facilities.

"While I can understand there may be some confusion in the public about how and when to get vaccinated, and with which vaccine, this decision to offer the H1N1 and seasonal vaccines together addresses these concerns," said Kendall. "B.C.'s initial recommendation to delay the seasonal vaccine campaign for everyone under the age of 65 was made using the best available evidence and before the pandemic vaccine was available. Now that pandemic vaccine is here, we can give protection against both seasonal and pandemic viruses at the same time"

For more information on the H1N1 flu vaccine, visit www.gov.bc.ca/h1n1. To find where you can get your H1N1 and/or seasonal flu shot, visit the Flu Clinic Locator at www.ImmunizeBC.ca or contact your local public health unit. More locations will be added as they are confirmed.

http://www.castanet.net/edition/news-story--3-.htm#

[Pathfinder]

Re: British Columbia- Novel H1N1 Vaccine Availability

Authorities say the H1N1 vaccine will be available at flu cinics on Monday, Oct. 26 -- but not at your family doctor. (CTV)

H1N1 vaccines delayed for family doctors

Updated: Thu Oct. 22 2009

ctvbc.ca

The day after the H1N1 flu vaccine was approved -- there's already a delay to part of the distribution plan.

Doctors across Vancouver had hoped to be able to pick up vaccines for their patients on Monday.

But they received a fax telling them that the earliest they can pick up these doses will be on Wednesday.

"We are currently planning to start distribution to physicians' offices on
October 28th," says the fax from Vancouver Coastal Health, which was provided to CTV News. "We will continue to inform you about vaccine availability and pick-up times."

The delay is causing a lot of confusion in doctors' offices as patients who had booked appointments are being told to reschedule.

"We've had many calls about the H1N1 shot, people are in a frenzy to get in here," said Tania Campbell of City Square Family Practice. "Now we have to cancel all these appointments and turn people away."

Officials from Fraser Health, which runs health care on the eastern part of the Lower Mainland, and the Vancouver Island Health Authority, say doctors in that region will still be able to pick up the vaccine on Monday, as promised.

Vancouver Coastal Health said the vaccine will still be able to be picked up at flu clinics on Monday.

"It's just a matter of priorities and again we feel that getting it out to the clinics and the acute care hospitals has to be done first," she said.

Dianne Miller, a patient who plans to get the H1N1 shot, said she'll have to wait.

"I would rather come to my own doctor and get the shot," she said.
Season flu clinic locations can be found at the Ministry of Health Services website.

http://www.ctvbc.ctv.ca/servlet/an/local/CTVNews/20091022/bc_h1n1_vaccine_delay_091022/20091022?hub=BritishColumbiaHome

[Pathfinder]

Re: British Columbia- Novel H1N1 Vaccine Availability

H1N1 Vaccine


<TABLE cellSpacing=0><TBODY><TR><TD id=mainArea>This page has information about the H1N1 flu vaccine, including how and when it will be available.

• Questions and Answers about the H1N1 Vaccine (PDF)
• HealthLinkBC File: Pandemic H1N1 Vaccine
• Summary of Recommendations for Use (PDF)

Vaccine Clinics

H1N1 Influenza Immunization Clinic Schedule (PDF)
High risk groups eligible for the vaccine starting the week of October 26th are:

• Those under 65 yrs with chronic health conditions (e.g. asthma, diabetes)
• Pregnant women
• People who live in rural and isolated settings and communities (including all First Nations people living on reserve).

In the first week of November, the following groups will be eligible for the vaccine:

• Anyone from the initial high risk groups
• Children between six months and five years old
• Healthcare workers
• Household contacts and care providers of infants less than six months
• Household contacts and care providers of persons who are immunocompromised.

By mid-November, the vaccine should be available to the general population.
News Releases

H1N1 Vaccine Approved, Timing Confirmed - October 21,2009
Health Canada Approves Vaccine for All Canadians - October 21, 2009

</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>

http://www.viha.ca/h1n1/public/vaccine.htm

[Pathfinder]

Re: British Columbia- Novel H1N1 Vaccine Availability

Lineups long, patience thin for vaccine rollout

Updated: Mon Oct. 26 2009 17:37:56
ctvbc.ca

British Columbians across the province rolled up their sleeves Monday as health authorities began vaccinations for the H1N1 virus, but the process did not go exactly as planned.

Today marks the first day in a staged release of the largest immunization effort in the province's history. This week the H1N1 vaccine will be available to pregnant women, people under 65 with chronic health conditions and people in remote communities, including First Nations and the homeless. It will be available to the general population in coming weeks.

Lineups were long -- and patience thin -- at many B.C. clinics.

Vancouver's Arbutus Mall clinic was overwhelmed by the turnout of people. The chaos resulted in many people being given the shot who weren't eligible yet.

Since people didn't have to show any proof of an underlying medical condition, staff said it was easier to take everyone than turn them away.

"The demographic we were looking for today shall you say, was expanded," Maureen Burke, administrator for the Pacific Spirit Community Health Centre, told CTV News.

The long lines prevented Julie Pongrac from receiving her shot. The clinic, mired with long lines, was only open for two-and-a-half hours.

"I hate the waste of my time and energy," she said.

"They put out a call to the public to show up, and we're willing, it's just frustrating."

Gavin Wilson, a spokesman for Vancouver Coastal Health, blames widespread shortages on a pent up demand for the long-awaited vaccine.

"I think people have been hearing about the vaccine for quite a long time now and it's here and people are eager to get it."

Shortages

Doctor's officers were also experiencing problems. Although physicians picked up vaccines at Nat Bailey Stadium there wasn't a lot to go around.

Valerie Kroeker, a manager for the City Square Family Practice, said she was given 80 doses for the seven doctors in her office.

"So about 11 and a bit for each doctor. We already have 40 pregnant patients booked this week."

B.C.'s chief medical health officer says he's heard clinics are very busy and is urging people to be patient.

"We are asking healthy people to stand back until we have enough. Give people who need it the benefit first," Perry Kendall said.

Canada has ordered more than 50 million doses of the H1N1 vaccine, which will be dolled out on a priority basis. It will be available to the general public by mid-November.

By the numbers

Despite the mass immunization program, a Strategic Counsel poll taken for CTV News and The Globe and Mail released Sunday found that 51 per cent of Canadians do not plan to get vaccinated.

That is despite the fact that 67 per cent of those polled said they believe the vaccine is safe for adults and 59 per cent said the vaccine is safe for children.

When it comes to those between the ages of 18 to 34 - the highest risk group - the no vote climbs to 64 per cent.

The poll, which questioned 1,000 Canadians between Oct. 22 and 24, suggests most of the country is not overly worried about the H1N1 flu, even if people are taking precautions.



Of the 63 per cent who said they are taking precautions:

• 97 per cent are washing their hands more
• 32 per cent are avoiding crowded places
• 35 per cent are avoiding shaking hands
• 19 per cent are visiting retail stores less often
• 11 per cent are avoiding airplane flights

To find the H1N1 clinic in British Columbia nearest you follow this link.

For answers to pressing questions about Swine flu click here.

http://www.ctvbc.ctv.ca/servlet/an/local/CTVNews/20091026/bc_h1n1_flu_rollout_091026/20091026?hub=BritishColumbiaHome

[Rwilmer]

Re: British Columbia- Novel H1N1 Vaccine Availability

Lines long as Canadians swamp H1N1 clinics
By Meagan Fitzpatrick, Janice Tibbetts and Larry Pynn, Canwest News Service and Vancouver Sun October 26, 2009 5:39 PM

OTTAWA ? Day one of the largest mass vaccination program in history saw thousands of at-risk Canadians waiting patiently in long queues to be among the first to receive the H1N1 needle.

Lines containing hundreds of people snaked through shopping malls, local arenas and community centres, as mothers and fathers pushing strollers, seniors, pregnant women and other Canadians believed to be most at risk of serious flu complications lined up before clinics opened.

In Vancouver, the Vancouver Coastal Health (VCH) kicked off its H1N1 vaccination clinics Monday, giving free shots to priority high-risk groups, including people under 65 with chronic health issues, pregnant women, and people who live in remote or isolated communities, including first nations.

VCH spokesman Gavin Wilson said health centres such as Arbutus and Three Bridges in Vancouver experienced lineups and waits Monday, evidence of a pent-up demand for the vaccine. More than 30,000 doses were also distributed to physicians at Nat Bailey Stadium.

Public health nurses also began vaccinating at two community health clinics as well as at shelters in Vancouver's Downtown Eastside. ?It?s a high risk population,? Wilson confirmed.

Phase two of the vaccination program starts next Monday, when the H1N1 flu shot will also be available to children six months to five years of age, people who work in health care, and people who are in contact at home or through home care services with infants and those who have compromised immune systems.

Phase three starts in mid-November for all others. To find a vaccination clinic in B.C., visit: www.health.gov.bc.ca/flu.

In Ottawa, a west-end clinic had to turn away prospective patients after it became clear by mid-afternoon that the wait time was about four hours and that nurses would not be able to immunize everyone by closing time.

"I've been in a high-risk category for several years now, and I've been told if I get pneumonia one more time it could be my last," said Bruce Chute, as he waited at a clinic in the Ottawa suburb of Kanata.

In Calgary, people began lining up before dawn for their shots at all four of the city clinics, with as many as 800 people crowded outside one shopping mall venue when the doors opened. Similar scenes played out in Victoria and in Edmonton, where Richard Garbe started waiting at 6 a.m. for a clinic that opened three hours later at a city mall.

The welder, 50, said he was heading Monday afternoon to Fort McMurray, Alta., where he lives in a camp with 2,000 men.

"I would say a good third of them are already showing flu symptoms ? sneezing, coughing, that kind of thing," said Garbe. "I need to protect myself."

Montrealers, however, were left in limbo as health department officials scrambled to distribute 155,000 doses of the vaccine that were delivered to the city over the weekend. That means workers at most Montreal hospitals, who were expected to start receiving their shots Monday, will not get their jabs until next week.

The vaccine is being offered for free across the country to Canadians over six months old who are believed to be most at risk of flu-related complications, such as those with chronic medical conditions, children between the ages of six months and five years, pregnant woman and health-care workers. The general public will be included in November.

Canada, meanwhile, has bought additional H1N1 vaccine from Australia so that pregnant woman can get their recommended shot sooner than expected, the federal government announced Monday.

Health Minister Leona Aglukkaq said she signed a special order to allow for the purchase of 200,000 doses of the unadjuvanted version of the vaccine from an Australian manufacturer called CSL Australia.

Canada is awaiting the production and approval of 1.8 million doses from its own manufacturer, GlaxoSmithKline, which are on track to be delivered in early November.

The version of the vaccine with an adjuvant, or booster, was made first and is being administered to Canadians across the country.

Aglukkaq said the additional supply of unadjuvanted vaccine was secured because of the rising rates of H1N1 cases in Canada.

"While the order being produced by GSK in Canada is still on target for delivery in early November, we felt that given the increase in cases of H1N1 flu virus across the country it was prudent to offer pregnant women earlier access to the unadjuvanted vaccine," the minister said at a news conference.

As Aglukkaq announced the accelerated program for a special vaccine for pregnant woman, she explained that, while they are not more likely to get sick, they are more at risk of complications if they do fall ill.

"Let me emphasize, it is crucial that pregnant women consider the benefits of getting vaccinated," she said.

The vaccine ordered from Australia has been approved for use in that country and in the United States. The Australian vaccine will be distributed to all provinces and territories as early as next week, barring any delivery issues.

"It should be sufficient to cover the majority of pregnant women and certainly all those, I think, that want the vaccine," Chief Public Health Officer Dr. David Butler-Jones said of the order.

There has been growing debate among pregnant women over whether they should get the H1N1 shot, and if so, which one.

Most Canadians who choose to get immunized will get an adjuvanted vaccine, but the government ordered unadjuvanted vaccine for pregnant women as a precaution because there is less clinical data on the use of adjuvanted vaccines in pregnant women.

The Public Health Agency of Canada says both vaccines are safe for pregnant women, but advises they take the unadjuvanted vaccine if it is available. If it is not, and there is widespread H1N1 in the woman's community, they should take the adjuvanted vaccine.

http://www.vancouversun.com/health/L...703/story.html

[Pathfinder]

Re: British Columbia- Novel H1N1 Vaccine Availability

<TABLE><TBODY><TR><TD colSpan=2><HR></TD></TR><TR><TD>BC Flu Clinic Locator


</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE><FORM onkeypress=CaptureEnter()><TABLE><TBODY><TR class=body><TD>Thank you for visiting B.C.'s Influenza Vaccine Clinic Locator.

If you cannot find a clinic in your area, that does not mean the H1N1 vaccine is not available in your region. As clinic information is changing on a rapid basis, some locations ? including physicians? offices ? may be offering the H1N1 vaccine that are not yet indicated on the map.

If you are at high-risk and wish to receive the H1N1 vaccine, but are not able to attend any of the currently listed clinics in your area, contact your local Public Health Unit or your family physician for more information on where you can get vaccinated.

As of Monday October 26, 2009, the pandemic H1N1 influenza vaccine will be available first to those people who would benefit most from immunization:

• individuals under 65 years of age with chronic disease
• pregnant women
• individuals - including First Nations people - living in remote or isolated communities.

These groups are at high-risk for suffering complications from pandemic H1N1 infection. British Columbians who fall into these groups who need and want the H1N1 vaccine, and for whom the seasonal flu shot is also recommended, will be able to receive both at the same time.

People who are not at highest risk are requested to wait until mid-November to get immunized when BC receives its full orders of H1N1 vaccine.


This link will provide you with a map and a search tool for clinics near you.

http://www.health.gov.bc.ca/flu/

</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></FORM>

[Pathfinder]

Re: British Columbia- Novel H1N1 Vaccine Availability

Flu shot clinic overrun
Many turned away

Brad Bird, Oceanside Star

Published: Thursday, October 29, 2009

Hundreds of Oceanside residents were vaccinated for the H1N1 virus Monday after a clinic originally scheduled for seasonal flu shots also offered swine flu protection for those most at risk.

"There was a long line-up, just like they're reporting everywhere for the vaccine, and lots of confusion over who qualified for what," said Carmen Christiansen, an event coordinator with the Parksville Community and Conference Centre, where the clinic was held.

The clinic ran from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. and "a lot of people" were turned away, she said. The vaccine was given only to those under 65 with chronic diseases and to pregnant women.

"The phone just never quit ringing," Christiansen said, suspecting that VIHA posted the clinic at www.viha.ca or at www.ImmunizeBC.ca.

"They would have been here till midnight," added Laura Knapp, another event coordinator who witnessed the rush Monday.

The next H1N1 clinics will be held at Wembley Mall starting Saturday.

Both H1N1 and seasonal flu shots will be offered there to Oceanside residents starting Saturday.

High-risk populations will take priority until Nov. 8. Those not in the high-risk categories are being asked to wait until mid-November to get their shots.

Priority will be given to those under 65 with chronic health conditions (eg. asthma, diabetes); pregnant women; and people who live in rural and isolated settings and communities.

In the first week of November, the following groups will be eligible: anyone from the initial high-risk groups; children between six months and five years old; health-care workers; household contacts and care providers of infants less than six months; household contacts and care providers of people who are immuno-compromised.

Dr. Monika Naus, director of immunization at the BC Centre for Disease Control, said national expert committees are advising that giving seasonal and pandemic vaccines together is not expected to affect the immune response to either one. "This is in keeping with what we know about almost all other vaccines," she said. "By getting the seasonal and pandemic vaccines together, the risk from both sorts of influenza can be reduced at the same time."
- - -
OCEANSIDE FLU SHOT

Clinic Schedule

All clinics are at Wembley Mall

Oct. 31/09, 10:30 AM to 5:00 PM
Nov. 01/09, 10:30 AM to 5:00 PM
Nov. 06/09, 12:30 PM to 7:30 PM
Nov. 07/09, 10:30 AM to 5:00 PM
Nov. 08/09, 10:30 AM to 5:00 PM
Nov. 13/09, 12:30 PM to 7:30 PM
Nov. 14/09, 10:30 AM to 5:00 PM
Nov. 15/09, 10:30 AM to 5:00 PM
Nov. 20/09, 12:30 PM to 7:30 PM
Nov. 21/09, 10:30 AM to 5:00 PM
Nov. 22/09, 10:30 AM to 5:00 PM
Nov. 27/09, 12:30 PM to 7:30 PM
Nov. 28/09, 10:30 AM to 5:00 PM
Nov. 29/09, 10:30 AM to 5:00 PM
Dec. 04/09, 12:30 PM to 7:30 PM
Dec. 05/09, 10:30 AM to 5:00 PM
Dec. 06/09, 10:30 AM to 5:00 PM
Dec. 11/09, 12:30 PM to 7:30 PM
Dec. 12/09, 10:30 AM to 5:00 PM
Dec. 13/09, 10:30 AM to 5:00 PM
Dec. 18/09, 12:30 PM to 7:30 PM

http://www2.canada.com/oceansidestar/story.html?id=2ef359cd-d7bf-4a41-a2e7-e6eec5a522e5

[Pathfinder]

Re: British Columbia- Novel H1N1 Vaccine Availability

B.C.'s H1N1 vaccine allotment reduced
Supply may not meet demand

By KIM PEMBERTON, Vancouver Sun
October 29, 2009 7:02 PM


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Lineup at South Vancouver Clinic at 6405 Knight for H1N1 flu shots in Vancouver, Tuesday.Photograph by: Bill Keay, Vancouver Sun


The B.C. Centre for Disease Control is reducing the H1N1 vaccine allotment to B.C. health regions after learning the manufacturer hasn?t been able to keep up with demand.

The result is not everyone in next week?s priority groups, which includes health care workers and children under five years old, will be able to be inoculated as planned.

?We don?t want people panicking,? says Dr. Monika Naus. ?If we had our original supply of under one million [for week one and two] then supply would be less an issue.?

Instead, the B.C. Centre for Disease Control received 500,000 doses for the first two weeks instead of 900,000, and will be getting 350,000 for the third week ? 100,000 doses lower than originally promised for that week.

This brings the total shortfall of the H1N1 vaccine in B.C. to 500,000 doses, forcing health officials to revise plans.

The target group for week two will now be prioritized, says Naus, considering there are 200,000 who would qualify in the health care profession category and approximately 250,000 children under five who are eligible.

Naus says the strategy now is to inoculate health care workers who work in critical health care, like emergency rooms and intensive care units.

?Children will remain a high priority,? she says.

Even though there aren?t enough doses to meet the needs, not everyone in the expanded priority group is going to come for the vaccine, says Dr. Reka Gustafson, director of the communicable disease control section for the Vancouver Coastal Health region. ?Basically the strategy is if someone is eligible and they come to us for a vaccine and we have it we?ll give them the vaccine. At the end of the day that?s all you can do,? says Gustafson. ?With health care workers who are under the greatest pressure, the emergency room and intensive care workers, we need to make sure these individuals will not be off sick.?

The first week of the vaccination program, which began Monday, was for pregnant mothers, persons under 65 with underlying health conditions and first nations people on reserves and others living in remote communities.

Next week?s priority group expands to include children six months to age five, health care workers, anyone living in the same household as someone who has contracted the virus and care providers of infants less than six months and people who are immuno-compromised. ?We?re still expanding our eligibility criteria. It will just take us longer to reach everyone in those priority groups,? says Gustafson.

Naus says while it is true it takes 10 days before the vaccination takes effect, the pandemic will be around possibly until after Christmas. She adds there has been no confirmation from the Australian-based manufacturer of the H1N1 vaccine whether they will be able to catch up with the demand beyond week three.

?Presumably they [the manufacturer] were overly optimistic on what they felt they could deliver,? says Naus. ?Before the campaign [to inoculate Canadians] rolled out there was a lot of talk whether this was necessary, but now we have a short supply there?s a sudden demand.?

She says health authorities are confident that everyone who wants the vaccine in B.C. will eventually get it.

http://www.vancouversun.com/health/H1N1+vaccine+allotment+reduced/2160526/story.html

[Pathfinder]

Re: British Columbia- Novel H1N1 Vaccine Availability

Shortage slows B.C.'s H1N1 vaccine roll-out

Last Updated: Friday, October 30, 2009 | 1:00 PM PT

CBC News


B.C. will have nearly one-third less vaccine than it expected to have next week because the manufacturer cannot keep up with demand. (CBC)

There won't be enough H1NI swine flu vaccines to inoculate the majority of British Columbians until December, health officials at the B.C. Centre for Disease Control have confirmed.

B.C. has ordered more than four million doses of the vaccine ? more than enough to cover the province ? and health officials had originally expected to have enough doses of the vaccine by mid-November.

But GlaxoSmithKline, the federally contracted manufacturer of the vaccine, which targets the strain of H1N1 influenza A virus responsible for the current swine flu pandemic, has been unable to produce enough of the vaccine, creating shortages across Canada.

To date, B.C. has received nearly a half-million doses of the adjuvanted H1N1 vaccine and is expecting a shipment of another 350,000 doses for distribution next week.


With the vaccine in short supply, health officials says the priority next week will be to vaccinate those most at risk from the virus, including:

• Frontline health care workers.
• Children between the age of six-months and five.
• People who share households with babies less than six months old or immuno-compromised people.

In addition, the province is scheduled to receive 25,000 doses of the unadjuvanted vaccine intended specifically for pregnant women late next week.

But not everyone in these groups will be immunized in the second week of the program because of regional variations in supply and demand.

In the meantime, health officials are asking those people not on the priority lists to wait until a larger supply of the vaccine becomes available.

"We ask that healthy individuals allow those who need the vaccine most at this time to get it first," Dr. Monika Naus, medical director of immunization programs at the B.C. Centre for Disease Control, an agency of the Provincial Health Services Authority.
Largest ever immunization campaign


B.C. began the largest immunization campaign in its history earlier this week with the vaccine made available to the first groups of high-risk residents, including:

• People under 65 with chronic health conditions.
• Pregnant women.
• Individuals, including First Nations living on reserves, who reside in remote or isolated areas.

In addition, health authorities who had been running seasonal influenza clinics for seniors might be temporarily suspending those clinics in order to focus on delivering the H1N1 vaccine to those most at risk.

Seniors influenza clinics will resume later in November, the time of year in which they are normally held, which was not expected to have any impact on the rate of seasonal influenza among seniors this winter.

http://www.cbc.ca/canada/british-columbia/story/2009/10/30/bc-h1n1-swine-flu-vaccine-rollout-shortage.html

[Tonka]

Re: British Columbia- Novel H1N1 Vaccine Availability

http://www.vancouversun.com/health/clinics+reopen+Monday+with+vaccine+short+supply/2170879/story.html

Flu clinics to reopen Monday with vaccine in short supply

Only people deemed ?high?risk will be allowed to get scarce H1N1 shots

By Denise Ryan and Sharon Kirkey , Vancouver SunNovember 1, 2009 8:16 PM

People line up in downtown Vancouver on Hornby Street waiting to receive the H1N1 vaccine. The flu shot is expected to be approved by Health Canada some time this week and more than a million doses of it have already been shipped out to the provinces and territories.Photograph by: Mark van Manen, Vancouver Sun

VANCOUVER - When dedicated H1N1 vaccine clinics reopen in the Vancouver Coastal Health region Monday, health officials will be patrolling the lineups to ensure only high-priority people get the shots.

B.C. will receive a total of 350,000 doses of the vaccine this week, less than had been expected, with 92,500 of the doses going to Vancouver Coastal.

All shots will be restricted to those in the top two eligible risk groups.

They include people under the age of 65 with chronic conditions such as asthma or diabetes or compromised immune systems, pregnant women past their 20th week, and those living in remote or first nations communities.

As of Monday, the vaccine will also be available to children aged six months to less than five years, some health care workers, and those who live with or care for infants aged under six months and/or care for immune-compromised people.

To battle queue-jumpers, nurses will be questioning those in the lineups to ensure only the high-risk groups get the shot.

Those who don?t meet the criteria will be asked to go home.

?You will be questioned about your health status when you line up,? said the Vancouver Coastal Health region spokesman Gavin Wilson.

?Public health nurses will be asking individuals to come back another time if they don?t meet the criteria.?

Although Vancouver Coastal Health will be using an honour system, the Vancouver Island Health authority said Friday its clinics will be ?stringently enforcing eligibility screening at H1N1 flu clinics.?

Noting that Vancouver Coastal Health serves one million people, Wilson said the region could use more vaccine.

?More is coming, and people need to remember we rolled the campaign out early, rather than waiting until November.?

Dr. Monika Naus of the B.C. Centre for Disease Control said the anticipated number of doses delivered to the province will be about another 300,000 next week, then will drop sharply, to an estimated 60,000 by the fourth week of the program.

That means it?s even more important that high-risk groups get served first, she said. ?It?s easy for someone to borrow a puffer, or claim they?ve got an underlying condition.?

Without an ?e-medical system,? something she anticipates may be available in the future, it?s still up to people to be honest and ?self-declare.?

Flu clinics in the Vancouver Coastal Health region will be open for extended hours, from 12 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. throughout the week until the vaccines run out. Some doses will be available through family doctors.

B.C. has been particularly hard hit by the virus, said Roy Wadia of the B.C. Centre for Disease Control.

?The first wave in spring and summer didn?t hit B.C. as hard. Now it?s been turned on its head.?

Wadia said there is enough Tamiflu for the entire province and individuals in high-risk groups should get a stand-by Tamiflu prescription if they cannot get the vaccine.

Tamiflu is not to be used as a prophylactic, said Wadia, but must be started within 48 hours of flu symptoms appearing.

Wadia said the BCCDC couldn?t predict how quickly the H1N1 flu will spread. ?Given this is a pandemic, we always expect the unexpected.

?We?ve been warning people not to be complacent, to get the vaccine, but as we?ve seen, vaccine supplies in Canada are not as plentiful as one would hope.?

Manufacturer GlaxoSmithKline had to wrap up production of seasonal flu vaccine before starting to produce the H1N1 vaccine, and the strain appeared earlier in the season than expected.

Wilson said emergency rooms are coping well with an increase in traffic of about 10 to 20 per cent. It?s a significant increase, but it?s not a greater volume than summer, typically the busiest time.

?H1N1 is the predominant virus out there,? said Wilson. ?Medical health officers say if you?ve got flu-like symptoms, it?s probably H1N1.?

Toronto hospitals aren?t coping as well. In the greater Toronto area, a call has been put out to family doctors to help triage and assess patients with flu symptoms streaming into emergency rooms.

In Ottawa, public health officials are preparing to set up a network of flu clinics across the city to divert people away from crowded ERs.

Canada?s chief public health officer is urging patience. Dr. David Butler-Jones said the government remains on target to have every Canadian who wishes to be vaccinated immunized by Christmas.

Some worry that, by then, much of the wave will be over.

?The epidemic is breaking out pretty rapidly across the country, I think that?s pretty obvious,? said Dr. Anand Kumar, who specializes in the care of critically ill patients with the Winnipeg Regional Health Authority.

?We?re too late to block it. The only way that you?re going to blunt it is to get as many people vaccinated as fast as you can,? Kumar said.

Family doctors are seeing increased volumes of patients with influenza-like symptoms, said Dr. Sarah Kredentser, president of the College of Family Physicians of Canada. Some are working longer hours and making more slots available for acutely sick patients by limiting routine visits, she said.

Other family doctors and clinics are asking patients with flu-like symptoms to stay home.

The Public Health Agency of Canada said the country is experiencing ?striking? increases in flu activity across the country, particularly in the West.

Ontario, Nova Scotia, Quebec and Saskatchewan say plans to open clinics to the general public are on hold. Alberta announced Saturday that all the province?s flu clinics were to be shut down entirely until further notice, prompting Opposition calls Sunday for that province?s health minister to resign.

If the shortfall continues, officials may need to rethink their distribution plan and shift priority, once high-risk groups are vaccinated, to the single largest reservoir of infection ? schoolchildren.

?That?s probably the most effective way to reduce the spread of the virus,? said Dr. Kumanan Wilson, Canada research chair in public health policy and a specialist in general internal medicine at the Ottawa Hospital.

?It?s hard to know right now if we have actually had a meaningful impact on reducing the spread of the virus.?

To find a flu clinic near you, go to www.immunizebc.ca

dryan@vancouversun.com

[Pathfinder]

Re: British Columbia- Novel H1N1 Vaccine Availability

Take H1N1 vaccine away from private clinics, Canadian coalition urges

<!-- begin content --><!-- this is is... -->CANADIAN PRESS

VANCOUVER, B.C. - A non-profit lobby group is calling on the country's health minister to stop private clinics from distributing the H1N1 vaccine.

Canadian Health Coalition spokesman Michael McBane says priority flu shots should be given to everyone who's at high risk to contract the flu, not just people with high incomes.

McBane made the comments after learning two private clinics - one in Toronto, the other in Vancouver - have received a supply of the H1N1 vaccine during a shortage of it across the country.

He says the practice is a clear example of queue jumping and is urging federal Health Minister Leona Aglukkaq to put an end to it.
B.C. Premier Gordon Campbell says the province must use all available means to get the vaccine to high-risk groups.

The Canadian Health Coalition is an Ottawa-based group that lobbies for the preservation of public health care.

http://www.cftktv.com/news/14/1016238

[Pathfinder]

Re: British Columbia- Novel H1N1 Vaccine Availability

FLU-SHOT CLINICS TODAY AND TOMORROW FOR VANCOUVER ISLAND


Times Colonist
November 13, 2009

H1N1 flu shots are being given this week only to people in certain high-risk groups, including: people under age 65 with chronic health conditions; pregnant women; people living in rural and isolated settings; children between six months and five years old; some health-care workers; people in household contact with infants less than six months old, and people in household contact with people with compromised immune systems.

TODAY

Esquimalt: Esquimalt High School (gym, no parking on school grounds), 847
Colville Rd. 9 a.m.-3:30 p.m.

Langford: Westshore Town Centre (old Mark's Work Wearhouse location), 2945 Jacklin Rd., 1-7:30 p.m.

Campbell River: St. Patrick's Church, 34 S. Alder St., 9 a.m.-3 p.m.

Nanaimo: Moose Lodge, 1356 Cranberry St., 9 a.m.-4 p.m.

Nanaimo: Cavallotti Hall, 2060 East Wellington Rd., 9-4 p.m.

Parksville: Wembley Mall, 826 West Island Hwy., 12:30-7 p.m.

TOMORROW

Langford: Westshore Town Centre (old Mark's Work Wearhouse location), 2945 Jacklin Rd., 9 a.m.-3:30 p.m.

Duncan: Island Savings Centre, 2687 James St., 10 a.m.-4 p.m.

Nanaimo: Moose Lodge, 1356 Cranberry St., 9 a.m.-4 p.m.

Nanaimo: Departure Bay Community Centre, 1415 Wingrove St., 9 a.m.-4 p.m.

Parksville: Wembley Mall, 826 W. Island Hwy., 11 a.m.-3 p.m.

Tofino: Tofino Community Centre, 351 Arnet Ave., 9 a.m.-noon.

Ucluelet: Ucluelet Seaplane Base, 160 Seaplane Base Rd., 2-5 p.m

http://www.timescolonist.com/news/SHOT+CLINICS+TODAY+TOMORROW+VANCOUVER+ISLAND/2218141/story.html