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http://www.vancouversun.com/health/Alberta+hospitals+feel+pressure/2229495/story.html
Alberta hospitals feel flu pressure
By Jodie Sinnema, edmontonjournal.comNovember 16,
EDMONTON ? Although the number of cases of H1N1 flu in Alberta is levelling off, hospitals are starting to be hard hit with people who were likely infected several weeks ago but just now need care for serious illness, health officials say.
Schools are seeing a huge drop in illness, with only two Edmonton public schools reporting absentee rates of more than 10 per cent Monday, compared with 71 schools on Nov. 6.
But the rate of severe illness has risen, said Dr. Gerry Predy, senior medical officer of health for Alberta Health Services. To deal with that demand, 20 extra hospital beds were opened in Alberta last week and a few elective surgeries were postponed as nursing staff were shifted to deal with flu infections.
While seniors have some natural immunity to the flu, if they do catch the H1N1 strain, they risk becoming very ill. To counteract that, the province is opening its mass vaccination clinics Tuesday to seniors over 75, as well as their spouses or partners.
They?ll be joined by all seniors 65 and older, starting Thursday.
The province will find out later this week how many more H1N1 vaccination doses it will receive, and will then decide if the clinic doors will be opened to the general public or if more high-risk groups ? such as healthy children or people who work with poultry and pigs ? will get first dibs.
Groups already eligible for the vaccine include: children older than six months and younger than five years; pregnant women; people between the ages of five and 64 who are chronically ill; caregivers and parents of babies and others who can?t be immunized; first responders such as firefighters, police and peace officers; and front-line health-care workers.
The vaccine was originally open to all Albertans when it was released in October, but the government suspended immunizations when it became clear there would be a shortage. It has since rationed the vaccine for those deemed at highest risk of serious infection and emergency workers, and is gradually expanding the list of those eligible.
?We will be making the vaccine available to the general public starting this week. We want to start with seniors first,? Health Minister Ron Liepert told reporters at the legislature on Monday. ?We now are at the point where we believe that supplies are no longer an issue, but we want to roll it out in a staged way.?
For more information, go to www.albertahealthservices.ca
jsinnema@thejournal.canwest.com
Alberta hospitals feel flu pressure
By Jodie Sinnema, edmontonjournal.comNovember 16,
EDMONTON ? Although the number of cases of H1N1 flu in Alberta is levelling off, hospitals are starting to be hard hit with people who were likely infected several weeks ago but just now need care for serious illness, health officials say.
Schools are seeing a huge drop in illness, with only two Edmonton public schools reporting absentee rates of more than 10 per cent Monday, compared with 71 schools on Nov. 6.
But the rate of severe illness has risen, said Dr. Gerry Predy, senior medical officer of health for Alberta Health Services. To deal with that demand, 20 extra hospital beds were opened in Alberta last week and a few elective surgeries were postponed as nursing staff were shifted to deal with flu infections.
While seniors have some natural immunity to the flu, if they do catch the H1N1 strain, they risk becoming very ill. To counteract that, the province is opening its mass vaccination clinics Tuesday to seniors over 75, as well as their spouses or partners.
They?ll be joined by all seniors 65 and older, starting Thursday.
The province will find out later this week how many more H1N1 vaccination doses it will receive, and will then decide if the clinic doors will be opened to the general public or if more high-risk groups ? such as healthy children or people who work with poultry and pigs ? will get first dibs.
Groups already eligible for the vaccine include: children older than six months and younger than five years; pregnant women; people between the ages of five and 64 who are chronically ill; caregivers and parents of babies and others who can?t be immunized; first responders such as firefighters, police and peace officers; and front-line health-care workers.
The vaccine was originally open to all Albertans when it was released in October, but the government suspended immunizations when it became clear there would be a shortage. It has since rationed the vaccine for those deemed at highest risk of serious infection and emergency workers, and is gradually expanding the list of those eligible.
?We will be making the vaccine available to the general public starting this week. We want to start with seniors first,? Health Minister Ron Liepert told reporters at the legislature on Monday. ?We now are at the point where we believe that supplies are no longer an issue, but we want to roll it out in a staged way.?
For more information, go to www.albertahealthservices.ca
jsinnema@thejournal.canwest.com
