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Opinion: Alberta?s public health response to H1N1
By Dr. James Talbot, Edmonton Journal
As Alberta?s chief medical officer of health, I would like to make some important points about how we respond to influenza in Alberta.
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The decision not to target the limited vaccine supply to high-risk groups was recommended by an expert medical committee, including an ethicist, and was based on both Alberta?s real-time surveillance this year and practical logistics.
One of the important considerations in this decision was that it was healthy 30- to 50-year-olds who were experiencing more of the rare but serious outcomes, not people in traditional high-risk groups.
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If no one was immunized in a non-pandemic year, we could expect about 100 influenza-related deaths. When 30 per cent of Albertans get immunized, our models predict that we can prevent about 70 of those deaths, and also prevent about two-thirds of influenza-related doctors? visits and hospitalizations. So our goal is always to immunize as many people in the general population as possible. Even if we don?t achieve 100 per cent, the effort is worthwhile.
By Dr. James Talbot, Edmonton Journal
As Alberta?s chief medical officer of health, I would like to make some important points about how we respond to influenza in Alberta.
..
The decision not to target the limited vaccine supply to high-risk groups was recommended by an expert medical committee, including an ethicist, and was based on both Alberta?s real-time surveillance this year and practical logistics.
One of the important considerations in this decision was that it was healthy 30- to 50-year-olds who were experiencing more of the rare but serious outcomes, not people in traditional high-risk groups.
..
If no one was immunized in a non-pandemic year, we could expect about 100 influenza-related deaths. When 30 per cent of Albertans get immunized, our models predict that we can prevent about 70 of those deaths, and also prevent about two-thirds of influenza-related doctors? visits and hospitalizations. So our goal is always to immunize as many people in the general population as possible. Even if we don?t achieve 100 per cent, the effort is worthwhile.
