Newfoundland and Labrador- Novel H1N1 Vaccine Availability

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Re: Newfoundland and Labrador- Novel H1N1 Vaccine Availability

N.L. expands swine flu vaccination program to those with respiratory illness



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November 11, 2009 4:46 p.m.


ST. JOHN'S, N.L. - Health officials in Newfoundland and Labrador have added a new group to those who can now get swine flu vaccinations.

Beginning Thursday people under the age of 65 with chronic respiratory illness and compromised respiratory function due to a physical, neurological or muscular disorder will be able to get the H1N1 vaccine.

Health Minister Jerome Kennedy also says that beginning Monday, the vaccination program will move back into schools to inoculate elementary students in grades 4, 5 and 6.

He says the province is expecting a shipment of up to 29,000 doses of the vaccine this week.

Meanwhile, Chief medical officer of health, Dr. Faith Stratton, says 20 new cases of influenza-like illness have been admitted to hospital and it appears about half of those are H1N1 related.

She says that brings the total people in hospital to 120 with 35 in intensive care and 15 on ventilators.

http://www.metronews.ca/edmonton/live/article/366382--n-l-expands-swine-flu-vaccination-program-to-those-with-respiratory-illness

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Re: Newfoundland and Labrador- Novel H1N1 Vaccine Availability

<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD><TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD width="100%"></TD><TD> </TD><TD> </TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD></TR><TR><TD background=images/dash.gif height=1></TD></TR><TR><TD align=right></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE><TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD vAlign=top><TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD height=10>Last updated at 9:24 AM on 11/11/09 </TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
Priority group expanded for H1N1 vaccine
BY GAZETTE STAFF
The Southern Gazette

Health and Community Services Minister Jerome Kennedy has announced the priority group to receive the H1N1 vaccine will now be further expanded.

It follows the arrival of the province?s next shipment of vaccine this week.

Mr. Kennedy emphasized the department will continue with its balanced approach to vaccinating the population, which includes a number of high risk groups and our school age children.

?Our statistics regarding hospital admissions demonstrate that individuals with chronic respiratory conditions continue to be at highest risk for severe disease, so we have expanded the group to include all individuals with such conditions under the age of 65. We also continue to be committed to vaccinating school age children and will begin vaccinations for children in Grades 4-6 next week.?

Beginning Thursday, the priority group for H1N1 vaccination will expand to include individuals less than 65 years of age with chronic respiratory conditions such as asthma, chronic bronchitis, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and cystic fibrosis.

Individuals will require proof of active treatment of the disease (for example prescription, labelled medication, insurance forms).

In addition, individuals under 65 years of age with compromised respiratory function due to a physical, neurological or muscular disorder (for example ALS, multiple sclerosis, quadriplegia, paraplegia, spina bifida) will be eligible for vaccination at this time.

As many of these individuals are known to regional continuing care programs, individuals will be contacted by staff to arrange for vaccination. Individuals who are not connected to a continuing care program can contact their regional health authority for further information ? Eastern Health 1-877-752-4358.

Beginning Monday, Nov. 16, more elementary school aged children will also begin receiving the H1N1 vaccinations. The vaccine will be delivered in the schools where possible.
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http://www.southerngazette.ca/index.cfm?sid=302185&sc=382

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Re: Newfoundland and Labrador- Novel H1N1 Vaccine Availability

N.L. planning swine flu vaccine blitz

Last Updated: Tuesday, November 10, 2009 | 7:44 PM NT

CBC News


Newfoundland and Labrador is refocusing its swine flu immunization plans Thursday, targeting people between the ages of 40 to 65 with chronic respiratory problems.

In addition, individuals under the age of 65 with compromised respiratory function due to a physical, neurological or muscular disorder (for example: Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, multiple sclerosis, quadriplegia, paraplegia, spina bifida) will also be eligible for vaccination Thursday.

"Because of what we're seeing coming, the people that we're seeing coming into the hospitals," said Provincial Health Minister Jerome Kennedy.

"The age group that we're seeing coming into the hospital and in the ICU. We're essentially going to blitz this vaccination."

The ages of those who died H1N1-related deaths in the province this fall has ranged from 36 to 69. All but one of them had serious underlying medical conditions.

The province has been offering H1N1 vaccinations to schoolchildren and people at high risk of developing complications from influenza.

On Monday, Kennedy said that unless medical experts could convince him to changes his plans, elementary school students from Grades 4 to 6 would be the next group to be immunized.

That must have happened because Tuesday Kennedy said students in Grade 4 to 6 won't be vaccinated until Nov.16, and the list of people eligible for shots will be expanded Thursday to include people between the ages of 40 to 65 with chronic respiratory problems.

The province's chief medical officer said those aged 25 to 65 are more likely to become seriously ill.

"Those people once they do get infected they have more severe disease and are more likely to die from their illness and that's what we've seen across the country in the first wave," said Dr. Faith Stratton.

Individuals aged 25 to 40 with chronic respiratory diseases such as asthma, chronic bronchitis, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease or cystic fibrosis were eligible for vaccination this week.

So far, more than 100,000 of the province's 500,000 residents have been vaccinated.

Kennedy said Tuesday that the province has about 7,200 H1N1 shots on hand. Another 15,000 shots are expected to arrive Wednesday.


Vaccination against the H1N1 virus that causes swine flu is currently underway in the province for the following groups:

• Children between six months and five years of age.
• Parents or other primary caregivers of infants under six months.
• Parents or other primary caregivers of people up to the age of 24 who cannot be immunized.
• All pregnant women.
• Hospital in-patients less than 65 years of age with one or more chronic health conditions.
• School-age children from kindergarten to Grade 3.
• Individuals aged 25 to 40 with chronic respiratory diseases such as asthma, chronic bronchitis, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease or cystic fibrosis.
• Individuals undergoing active cancer treatment and transplant patients (including pre-transplant patients on a wait list and post-transplant patients in the last two years).

http://www.cbc.ca/canada/newfoundlan...litz-1110.html

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Re: Newfoundland and Labrador- Novel H1N1 Vaccine Availability

N.L. H1N1 clinics set to resume

Last Updated: Monday, November 9, 2009 | 10:20 AM NT

CBC News


A mass immunization program aimed at interrupting the spread of swine flu was set to resume in Newfoundland and Labrador on Monday.

Vaccination clinics around much of the province shut down Sunday to provide a break for the health officials who are administering the vaccine.

During a regular H1N1 briefing, Health Minister Jerome Kennedy gave reporters an update on the H1N1 situation in the province Sunday:

• 18 more people were admitted to hospital between Saturday and Sunday.
• Half of those admissions happened on the east coast.
• 27 people are now being treated for H1N1 in intensive care units
• 15 are on ventilators.
• 124 cases of influenza-like illnesses in the province.

"There doesn't appear to be a pattern developing," Kennedy said, "other than it continues to be a mostly mild to moderate flu. However, certain people with underlying conditions have a more serious effect."

The medical official of health for the St. John's region, Dr. David Allison, told CBC News on Monday morning that H1N1 has continued progressing across the province, travelling from the western region to eastern Newfoundland, but he said it appears to be slowing down as it reaches the area administered by Eastern Health, the province's largest health authority.

"Things seem to be stabilizing a little bit," he said. "If nothing else, people are, perhaps, less anxious about the fact we've got illness."
Health officials said Monday there have now been four deaths in the province related to swine flu.

A 48-year-old man from central Newfoundland died Sunday afternoon, while a 63-year-old woman died in St. Anthony, on the Northern Peninsula, died just before midnight Saturday.

The woman had multiple medical problems, health authorities said.

Two other people, a 36-year-old woman and a 40-year-old man, died last week in central Newfoundland from H1N1-related complications.
Kennedy said the Health Department has enough H1N1 vaccine remaining to continue giving the shot to school-age children and people in other high-risk groups, with the possibility that the list of people who qualify could be expanded on Tuesday.

http://www.cbc.ca/canada/newfoundland-labrador/story/2009/11/09/nl-swine-update-091109.html

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Re: Newfoundland and Labrador- Novel H1N1 Vaccine Availability

Vaccinations 20 per cent done
100,000 people inoculated in province so far

ALISHA MORRISSEY AND JAMES MCLEOD
The Telegram


With 20 per cent of the province's population now vaccinated against H1N1 flu, the disease continued its sweep through the rest of the population.

Four more people were put on ventilators as of 8 a.m. Friday for a total of 15 people. In total, 111 people are currently hospitalized with the disease, 31 of which are in intensive care. Health Minister Jerome Kennedy and Faith Stratton, the province's chief medical officer of health, said roughly 100,000 people have been inoculated and they plan to continue giving shots to kindergarten to Grade 3 students today.

Sunday will likely be a day off for the taxed medical workers who have been administering the immunizations for 13 days straight.

"We're hoping to give the nurses a rest on Sunday, thinking that most of the vaccine would already have been given, and we would actually run out of vaccine," Stratton said.

Kennedy said Monday will be a day for the province to reassess and redistribute any remaining vaccine ahead of the next scheduled shipment Wednesday.

"If it turns out on Monday that there's vaccine out there that's not utilized, then we will certainly move it around or do whatever we have to do to make sure it's all utilized," he said.

With two lives already taken by the disease, health officials were quick to assure that they have adequate equipment and preparation to handle the pandemic.

"We're OK right now," said Dr. Michael Jong, vice-president of medical services for Labrador-Grenfell Health.

"If we do not have increased numbers in cases over what we have now, we're OK. Unless something happens, but with vaccinations we should be OK."

Stratton said the current pandemic is unlike any seasonal flu they've experienced, but they were as prepared as they could be.

"We've certainly been able to use all the plans that we've been putting in place," she said. "We've been getting ready for this for at least 10 years."

With the weekend inoculations, Kennedy said the students and parents affected had already been contacted, and people could also consult schedules on the Eastern Health and Eastern School District websites.

The next shipment of vaccine is slated for Wednesday. Across Canada about 1.8 million doses will be shipped; Newfoundland and Labrador will get its 1.5 per cent share.

http://www.thetelegram.com/index.cfm?sid=301350&sc=79

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Re: Newfoundland and Labrador- Novel H1N1 Vaccine Availability

N.L. H1N1 vaccine may run out on weekend: Kennedy

Last Updated: Friday, November 6, 2009 | 6:04 PM NT

CBC News

Newfoundland and Labrador's Health Minister said Friday he believes it's unlikely the province's current supply of H1N1 vaccine will last through the weekend.

Jerome Kennedy told reporters during his daily update on the H1N1 situation that mass immunization clinics may have to close in the next few days, depending on the availability of vaccine.

Kennedy said that in the St. John's area, schoolchildren in kindergarten to Grade 3 will continue to receive inoculations on Saturday at the region's two mass immunization clinics. Inoculations for students in that age group began in schools across the province on Thursday.

"This may cause some inconvenience for some of the parents, but we felt it best where we have vaccine available that we can utilize it as quickly as possible," he said.

Faith Stratton, the province's chief medical officer, said it is unclear right now if the clinics will continue on Sunday.

"We were hoping to give the nurses a rest on Sunday thinking that most of the vaccine would already have been given and we would actually run out of vaccine," she said.

Over the next few days, health officials will weigh which risk groups will get access to the next shipment of vaccine on Wednesday.

Latest numbers released by the province show there are 111 people in the province currently in hospital with symptoms of the H1N1 flu. Thirty-one people are in intensive care while 15 of them are on ventilators to help them breathe.

http://www.cbc.ca/canada/newfoundland-labrador/story/2009/11/06/kennedy-vaccine-116.html

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Re: Newfoundland and Labrador- Novel H1N1 Vaccine Availability

N.L to begin vaccinating schoolchildren

CBC News


Vaccination of Newfoundland and Labrador students from kindergarten to Grade 3 against H1N1 influenza will begin Thursday, according to top education officials, but the province's limited supply of vaccine means it may take time to immunize them all.

"The vaccine will be provided to students in schools wherever it is feasible and possible," said provincial Education Minister Darin King. "However, there is currently a nationwide shortage of the vaccine. School-based immunization will be expanded as the supply of vaccine allows. Parents are encouraged to be patient and continue to reinforce enhanced hand washing and hygiene practices with their children."

King said that despite high absenteeism — which has left some schools in the province with half as many students as usual — schools will remain open.

"We certainly appreciate concerns parents have about the possible presence of H1N1 in schools," said King. "However, the recommendation that is being followed throughout Canada is to keep schools open. Health officials advise that this is not a school-based influenza, but a community-based pandemic. Closing schools will not contain the spread of the virus.

At the same time, we are prepared to make any necessary changes to these plans depending on information we are receiving on a daily basis."
King said education officials won't let students fall behind in their studies because of swine flu.

"School districts have plans in place to help ensure learning continues despite absences or possible loss of instructional time if students are absent for extended periods of time," said King.

"This includes the preparation of online support materials and unit plans for home study."


Click here for schedule: Eastern School District: H1N1 school immunization schedule

http://www.cbc.ca/canada/newfoundland-labrador/story/2009/11/04/nl-student-vaccination-1104.html

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Re: Newfoundland and Labrador- Novel H1N1 Vaccine Availability

Arnold's Cove students protest H1N1 shot delay

Last Updated: Thursday, November 5, 2009 | 4:01 PM NT

CBC News

Students angered that they still haven't received the H1N1 vaccination protested on Thursday outside their school in Arnold's Cove, on the province's east coast.

The protest at Tricentia Academy involved about 75 students, more than 20 per cent of the school's enrolment.

Grade 12 student Kaitlin Clarke said it's unfair that she and other students in the K-12 school have yet to receive a shot to fight swine flu, while others, including inmates at the prison in St. John's, have.

"Prisoners who are not within the target group were vaccinated long before people who are within the target group were even allowed access to the inoculations," she said. "We're saying the chances of coming in contact with the H1N1 virus ? we have more chances at school than they do."

Tricentia Academy doubles as a community vaccination site, and Clark said having so many people inside the building getting flu shots only increases the students' risk of contracting the virus.

Health officials started giving the shot to students from kindergarten to Grade 3 on Thursday, saying more students will be vaccinated as the nation-wide shortage of the vaccine eases.

http://www.cbc.ca/canada/newfoundland-labrador/story/2009/11/05/nl-shot-students-051109.html

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Re: Newfoundland and Labrador- Novel H1N1 Vaccine Availability

http://www.vocm.com/newsarticle.asp?mn=2&id=2454&latest=1

Additional Groups Announced for H1N1 Vaccine

There's some new criteria for those receiving H1N1 vaccinations. Priority groups will be expanded Thursday to include hospital in-patients less than 65 years of age with one or more chronic health conditions, school aged children from Kindergarten to Grade Three, individuals between the ages of 25 and 40 with chronic respiratory disease with proof of active treatment of the disease, and individuals undergoing cancer treatment. Health Minister Jerome Kennedy says the vaccine will go into the schools as early as Thursday. Non-adjuvanted vaccine has arrived for pregnant women in the first half of their pregnancies. Kennedy says by the end of the week, we should know more details about our next shipment of vaccine, due next week. He says they continue to roll out the immunization process as logically as possible, but he's still getting a number of complaints. He says people have to remain patient. Chief Medical Officer of Health Dr. Faith Stratton says the number of admissions to hospitals is still on the rise. 34 new admissions have been reported in 24 hours, bringing the total to 84 people in hospital. 9 are in intensive care with 5 on ventilators.


The vice president of Medical Services with Western Health believes the numbers of staff in the region with flu like symptoms will start to level off in a couple of weeks. Dr. Ken Jenkins says as of yesterday, there were 27 patients with H1N1 at Western Memorial Regional Hospital in Corner Brook. He says they've also been experiencing a high number of staff with illness. Dr. Jenkins says they've cancelled elective surgeries to free up beds in acute care, expanded a flu assessment centre and established a flu ward at the hospital. He says there is a light at the end of the tunnel. Dr.Jenkins says they'll continue to monitor the level of staff illness to determine when elective surgeries can resume.


There is a free seminar this morning in St. John's for businesses wondering how to deal with the H1N1 virus. Officials with the International Centre for Infectious Diseases and the Public Health Agency of Canada will be on hand to provide information and answer questions about how small and medium-sized businesses can deal with the situation. The Chair of the St. John's Board of Trade, Bruce Templeton, says all businesses are invited to attend. He says businesses have been asking a lot of questions about how to operate with reduced staff, including how to operate their businesses from remote locations, and security of information.


Individuals with questions regarding documentation required to prove eligibility of chronic illness or for clinic information and locations should call their health authority. You can also click here for more information.

Eastern Health 1-877-752-4358

Central Health 1-877-311-2613

Western Health 1-877-632-4161

Labrador-Grenfell Health 1-877-896-0422

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Re: Newfoundland and Labrador- Novel H1N1 Vaccine Availability

<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width=245 border=0><TBODY><TR><TD colSpan=3 height=3>Last updated at 9:00 AM on 03/11/09 </TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
Special H1N1 vaccines to arrive today
Health Supply of regular shots still tight

BARB SWEET
The Telegram

Special H1N1 vaccines are coming for pregnant women and were expected to arrive in the province today.

The province will also receive about 1,000 more regular vaccines than it expected in this week's limited allotment from Health Canada.

Some 2,900 doses of the unadjuvanted vaccine - which is most recommended for pregnant women - will be given out by appointment because of the smaller numbers requiring it, Health Minister Jerome Kennedy announced Monday in his daily media briefing with provincial chief medical officer Dr. Faith Stratton.

Kennedy said it was expected the regular H1N1 vaccine was expected to run out in the St. John's area by today, but not in rural Avalon.

But some 7,500 doses of the adjuvanted - a faster reacting vaccine - will arrive Wednesday.

Kennedy said he would announce today what groups would be now vaccinated, but intends to keep the focus on children.

Adults with chronic health conditions were originally considered high risk and of priority to get vaccines, but because of mass lineups lasting hours, the criteria was tightened Friday.

Not only were healthy people lining up to get the vaccine along with children and people with chronic conditions, but many nurses were offering the vaccine to parents who brought their kids in.

So the rules were tightened to children six months to five years and people up to age 24 with chronic health conditions, pregnant women in the second half of their pregnancy and then, Sunday, caregivers of people that can't be immunized in those age ranges, as well as those of infants.

Many worried people have been publicly critical of the decision to exclude adults with chronic health conditions and Kennedy acknowledged he has received e-mails from people asking when their turn would come.

The province's first death from H1N1 was a 36-year-old woman with an underlying health condition in central Newfoundland.

"Yesterday I was shook up. Still, today, I really want to send out condolences to the family of that lady who died," Kennedy said.

"I sat there yesterday and wondered am I making the right decision ... (but) I feel looking after our children I am doing the right thing."

He said adults with chronic health conditions represent 20 per cent of the population and with the limited number of vaccines he can't just pick and choose among those adults who get it.

If the province receives its regular allotment of vaccines next week it could get up to 57,000 doses. Children under 10 only need a half dose, which has allowed the vaccine to be spread further.

Stratton said Monday 26 more people were admitted to hospital with respiratory illness in a 24-hour period since Sunday, with seven of those in intensive care and four on ventilators. The seven are in central and western. Though it's not known exactly how many of those hospitalized are H1N1 cases, a significant number are, Stratton said.

The virus has hit the west coast the hardest.

Besides the vaccine, medical officials have also stockpiled some 880,000 doses of antiviral Tamiflu used to treat severe symptoms.

Kennedy acknowledged the mistakes that were made Friday with the immunization clinics and said Eastern Health is looking into why the policy on who was to be given the vaccine didn't filter down, as well as how health care workers last week were able to sneak in family members to get the vaccine.

Some of the lineups at Eastern Health seemed to be running smoother Monday.

Monday morning, there was no one waiting outside Hazelwood Elementary in the west end and people in vehicles are being screened by security on the parking lot. People were again screened at the door by Eastern Health officials and are being given numbers.

"I'm impressed," said Nicki Tonkin-Normore, who brought her two children to the clinic Monday morning. "I was expecting four to six hours."

But she was given a number and was in and out in roughly an hour. Waits on Friday around the city were as high as nine hours.

Chris Dillon brought one of his three sons Monday to Hazelwood in a tag-team effort that saw his wife go at 5:30 a.m. Saturday morning at Cordage Place to be early in line to get a number for another of their three boys.

They are hoping their third son, aged seven, will get the vaccine in school, but have been keeping him at home until then to make sure he doesn't contract the virus.

"Why be in a panic? Wait your turn," Dillon said Monday.

Schools have continued to see high absenteeism. Some 33 of the Eastern District's 87 schools had an absenteeism rate of 20-29 per cent and 35 schools had 30-39 per cent of their student absent.

Meanwhile, Stratton noted there have been two adverse reactions to the vaccine so far - one a swelling of the throat or mouth and the other a rash.

Pregnant women wanting to make an appointment can now start calling toll free lines - set up for H1N1 concerns - and the vaccine will start to be given out Wednesday.

The toll free lines are as follows: Eastern Health 1-877-752-4358; Central Health 1-877-311-261; Western Health 1-877-632-H1N1(4161); Labrador-Grenfell Health 1-877-896-0422

http://www.thetelegram.com/index.cfm?sid=299949&sc=79

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N.L. doctors want to administer H1N1 vaccinations

Last Updated: Monday, November 2, 2009 | 2:18 PM NT

CBC News

A physician in Port aux Basques, western Newfoundland, says her patients should be able to receive H1N1 influenza vaccinations at her office instead of only at specialized clinics.

"We find it very frustrating as physicians," said Dr. Wendy Graham. "We'd like to be a part of the program. We don?t want to see any current vaccine that exists in our province sit in the refrigerators for months.

We've been asking to be a part of this program. We'd like to get vaccine into our patients as soon as possible."

She said many doctors have cold storage, and they already administer several types of vaccine.

Graham says the association that represents Newfoundland and Labrador physicians is lobbying the provincial government to get doctors involved in the vaccination program, which is targeting the strain of H1N1 influenza A causing the current swine flu pandemic.

Nurses employed by regional health authorities in Newfoundland and Labrador have been giving residents shots at designated centres throughout the province.

The province is trying to make sure that the vaccine is first administered to health workers, people at high risk for developing complications from influenza and those who care for people who can't get vaccinated.

http://www.cbc.ca/canada/newfoundland-labrador/story/2009/11/02/nl-doctor-flu-shots-1102.html

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Re: Newfoundland and Labrador- Novel H1N1 Vaccine Availability

<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD><TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD width="100%">LOCAL NEWS</TD><TD>Post a comment |</TD><TD></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD></TR><TR><TD background=images/dash.gif height=1></TD></TR><TR><TD align=right></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE><TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD vAlign=top><TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD height=10>Last updated at 10:44 AM on 02/11/09 </TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
Revised H1N1 immunization clinic schedule for Eastern Health
The Telegram

Eastern Health would like to advise the public of an adjustment to the schedule posted Sunday in relation to three of the sites in the St. John?s region.
St. John?s (West) at Hazelwood Elmentary; Paradise at Rotary Youth and Community Centre; and the Bay Bulls/Witless Bay/ Ferryland area clinic at Mobile Central High will be open from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m and not until 6 p.m. as previously announced.

Clinics:
Bell Island
Community Health Office 10 a.m. - 6 p.m. on Nov. 3;

Torbay (also serving Portugal Cove/St. Philip?s)
Holy Trinity High 10 a.m. - 8 p.m. on Nov. 2;

St. John?s (East)
MacDonald Drive Junior High School 10 a.m. ? 8 p.m. Nov. 2;

St. John?s (West)
Hazelwood Academy 10 a.m. ? 8 p.m. Nov. 2;

Mount Pearl
Reid Community Centre 10 a.m. ? 8 p.m. Nov. 2;

Paradise (also serving Conception Bay South)
Rotary Youth and Community Centre 10 a.m. ? 8 p.m. Nov. 2;

Trepassey
Community Health Office 10 a.m. ? 6 p.m. Nov. 3 (one day only);

Bay Bulls/Witless Bay/ Ferryland area Mobile Central High, Mobile
10 a.m. ? 8 p.m. Nov. 2.

http://www.thetelegram.com/index.cfm?sid=299599&sc=79

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Re: Newfoundland and Labrador- Novel H1N1 Vaccine Availability

<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD height=10>Last updated at 11:08 AM on 02/11/09 </TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
New priorites and schedule for Swine Flu immunization
The Packet

Based on the new criteria for immunization, Eastern Health has revised its immunization clinic schedule.

The schedule previously posted on the Eastern Health website and advertised in local papers is no longer applicable.

Until noted otherwise, we will be posting schedules on a day-by-day basis.

Please note that these clinics address individuals who fall in the following high risk categories:

-Children six months up to fifty-nine months of age (under 5)

-People five years of age up to and including 24 years of age with chronic conditions

-Pregnant women in the second half of their pregnancy (20 to 40 weeks)

-Parents or other primary care providers (up to two per child) of children under the age of six months; and of immuno-compromised children and young adults (up to and including 24 years of age) who cannot themselves be vaccinated.

Those who do not fall under one of the high risk categories listed above are requested to wait until later in the vaccination schedule to receive their vaccine.

Clarenville, Laskey Place, November 2
10:00 am ? 6:00 pm

Bonavista community Health Nursing Office ? Chapel Hill, November 2 10:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m.

Arnold?s Cove, Tricentia Academy, November 3
10:00 am ? 8:00 pm ONE DAY ONLY

Lethbridge Community Health Nursing Office, November 3
10:00 am ? 8:00 pm ONE DAY ONLY

For updates, visit www.easternhealth.ca, or call the Healthline at 1-888-709-2929.

The public is reminded to bring an MCP card to the clinic and to wear clothing that allows easy access to the upper arm.

Children under 10 years of age will require a second dose of H1N1 Vaccine. Information regarding followup dose will be made available at the time of immunization.

http://www.thepacket.ca/index.cfm?sid=299581&sc=368

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Re: Newfoundland and Labrador- Novel H1N1 Vaccine Availability

<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD height=10>Last updated at 8:42 AM on 31/10/09 </TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD>New rules for vaccines
Health Tight supply, queue jumping leads to limits on high-risk categories

BARB SWEET
The Telegram


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Health Minister Jerome Kennedy has ordered stringent restrictions at H1N1 vaccination clinics.

Only the following people will be vaccinated at this time: children aged six months to five years; people aged five years up to and including age 24 with chronic conditions and pregnant women in the second half of pregnancy.

No one else will get the vaccine ,and health authorities have been instructed to put extra security on to try to make sure only those in the three approved groups get the vaccine.

The high risk group was broader up until the new rules, but Kennedy said the supply is tightening. Healthy people jumped the queue Friday.

"We can't rely on the honour system. I'm very disappointed by that," Kennedy said Friday night.

This week's allotment of the vaccine is expected to run out sometime today in the St. John's area. More will be on the way Wednesday, but health officials are expecting to get less of it, although they don't know exactly how limited it will be.

The regular H1N1 vaccine production is being slowed to produce the version of the vaccine considered more preferable for pregnant women. (It's up to pregnant women which one they take.)

"Today I asked people to do the right thing," Kennedy said, adding he is disappointed many healthy people didn't wait until the high risk groups went first.

Originally all adults who had chronic illness were considered in the high risk group, but Kennedy said because of the limited supply of vaccine, they'll have to wait and new measures must be taken to ensure they reach the most vulnerable people.

While it's been indicating details are being worked out to make the vaccine available in schools, Kennedy said that all depends now on the province's supply.

Hundreds of people jammed lineups in the metro area on the first day of public mass immunization Friday.

"I would be very surprised if by (Saturday) all the vaccine available in St. John's area is not gone," Kennedy told reporters Friday afternoon outside the House of Assembly. He was referring to the clinics that would be held today. At clinics Friday many parents who waited hours in line with children also took their shot.

"People have to be apply common sense here. If you have a parent who is going up with a child, for example, who is getting the vaccination, the parent has to say no because there is another child looking for that," Kennedy told media Friday afternoon, hours before he brought in the new rules.

By the end of today some 20,000 people in the St. John's area were to have received the vaccine. The current supply for the whole province is 86,000 shots.

The public clinics weren't supposed to start until Monday - health care workers were being vaccinated this week - but they were moved up because of public demand. Kennedy said it was unfortunate people, especially children had to wait for hours in the cold Friday and he acknowledged people were frustrated.

Several clinics got underway Friday. The line ups were so long, Eastern Health cut them off shortly after 4:30 p.m. Friday, allowing only those already in line to continue. Closing time was supposed to be 8 p.m. but officials said those already in line at 4:30 p.m. would push them into extra hours. At Cordage Place Friday night at 8 p.m. there were still hundreds outside waiting in the cold to get their vaccine.

Some people lined up Friday in wheelchairs, or with oxygen tanks attached. Parents pushed strollers, and lugged books and toys to amuse toddlers while waiting. Many people were thankful for the sunshine after weeks of dreary, rainy weather as lines snaked outside. Some wore costumes on the eve of Halloween. A few people were seen with surgical-type masks.

At Cordage Place in St. John's off Empire Avenue, health officials started giving the vaccine two hours ahead of schedule Friday morning, easing the line up.

Sandra Burry of Portugal Cove went to Cordage Place early because she didn't know where it was. She was surprised at the early start.

"I'm a transplant patient," she explained of her desire to get the vaccine.

Jennifer Johnson brought her son Sydney because there had been an illness in his daycare.

"We don't know if it's the flu or not but nobody's ready to take any chances," she said as Sydney played with a small toy train to take his mind off getting the needle.

Joanne Thorne brought her three kids, including a girl under five and a seven year old with asthma.

She said it would have been better to have vaccinations at school, but "anyway is a good way now."

At Macdonald Drive Junior High, Erin Rose was wearing a face mask while waiting to get her daughter Haley Brinson vaccinated.

Rose said she'd been told she has the flu.

"It's all on my chest - I have puffers and that."

"Hopefully, I'll get ahead of the game," said Gerard Spencer, who already felt cold symptoms.

Also Friday, some sheriff's officers were approached to take on extra work by the security company hired to staff the clinics.

Dr. Faith Stratton, the province's chief medical officer of health said in the 24 hours between Thursday and Friday 27 people had been hospitalized with respiratory illness around the province, although it's not known how many are related to H1N1.

Several of those were in intensive care.

And Eastern Health has implemented visitor restrictions at hospitals throughout the region.

The health authority is asking members of the public not to visit patients in facilities, except under exceptional circumstances.

The restrictions do not apply to Eastern Health's long-term care facilities at this time, but that situation will be monitored.

Several organizations were also restricting activities or issue advisories.

The Red Cross advised people to sanitize hands, door knobs and door bells and wash hands while passing out Halloween treats today. It said children shouldn't touch their eyes, nose and mouth.

And due to growing public concerns surrounding the H1N1 pandemic, College of the North Atlantic has decided to postpone its annual College Day events scheduled for Nov. 5.

Dr. David Allison, Eastern Health's medical officer, said it's up to groups and sporting organizations whether to go ahead with events. But he urged people who aren't well to not feel obligated to attend functions or games.

http://www.thetelegram.com/index.cfm?sid=299212&sc=79

[shane]

Re: Newfoundland and Labrador- Novel H1N1 Vaccine Availability

N.L. changes flu shot rules after queue jumping

N.L. changes flu shot rules after queue jumping
'Let our children come first,' health minister pleads
Last Updated: Saturday, October 31, 2009 | 11:09 PM NT Comments131Recommend40.
CBC News
Hundreds of people were again lining up at swine flu vaccination clinics in Newfoundland and Labrador on Saturday, amid word health officials have tightened the rules on who can get the shot, and predictions the supply will run out before day's end.

The province ditched its original plan to begin vaccinations for the general public starting Monday, Nov. 2, and made the shots available Friday for people who are at a high risk of complications from influenza.

However, Health Minister Jerome Kennedy said Friday evening that he has been forced to step in and change the rules involving high-risk candidates, after hearing many healthy adults were slipping to the front of the line to get the shot.

Earlier in the week, Eastern Health, the province's largest health authority, admitted that some of its workers who were getting the vaccination as a priority were also bringing family members in to be vaccinated.

"I appealed to people on the honour system," Kennedy told CBC News. "All of the stories today [Friday] that came back to me, unfortunately, indicated that that may not have been the case. We had young children out in the cold for hours."

Kennedy said it was disappointing that otherwise healthy adults would make children wait for the vaccine. He appealed to people to be less selfish.

"Let our children come first. Let's deal with our children and our adults with high-risk conditions. I know people are concerned. We're trying to do the best we can, but we have a very limited supply of this vaccine and we have to try to get it out to the children of our province."

Kennedy said starting Saturday, health officials who are giving the shots will limit the H1N1 vaccine to:

?Children between the ages of six months and five years old.
?People between the ages of five and 24 who have chronic conditions.
?Pregnant women who are in the second half of their pregnancy.
"Instructions will be given to all of the regional health authorities that parents who come there tomorrow [Saturday] with their children will not be provided with the vaccine, and that healthy people will be asked to wait [until] later on."

Emergency rooms in the province and doctors' clinics have been overrun with people showing up with flu-like symptoms. Health officials suspect many of those people had H1N1.

Kennedy said there has been such a demand for the swine flu shot that health officials expect to run out of the vaccine sometime Saturday. A new batch of medicine won't arrive in the province until Wednesday.

Kennedy said the federal government has said that it will be a smaller shipment than originally anticipated.

Health officials said that once the current supply is depleted this weekend, 82,000 doses of the vaccine will have been given to people, vaccinating about 17 per cent of the province's half million residents.

http://www.cbc.ca/canada/newfoundland-labrador/story/2009/10/31/nl-flu-rules-311009.html