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Canada's health minister gets vaccine, encourages others to follow suit
By Meagan Fitzpatrick, Canwest News Service
November 27, 2009 5:48 PM
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Canada's Health Minister Leona Aglukkaq receives her H1N1 flu shot from Claire Bahati at a clinic in Ottawa Nov. 27, 2009.
Photograph by: Blair Gable, Reuters
OTTAWA ? Federal Health Minister Leona Aglukkaq received her H1N1 vaccine Friday at a clinic in Ottawa and urged Canadians to follow her example because the virus is so unpredictable.
"For those individuals in Canada who have not yet received their H1N1 vaccine I would encourage you to go out and get the vaccine," Aglukkaq said afterwards.
She said wary Canadians should not be concerned about the vaccine's safety.
"The scientific community has assured us that it is safe for Canadians," she said. "It's one thing I can do to protect myself and my family."
Aglukkaq added that she has given the vaccine to her young son.
The public clinic was running smoothly and Aglukkaq did not have to wait long for her shot. She complimented the nurse on the clinic's organization as she prepared to jab the health minister's arm with the needle.
"I didn't even feel it," Aglukkaq said when the nurse was done.
Political leaders such as Aglukkaq have had to wait their turn to get their shots and in most jurisdictions, the H1N1 clinics only opened up beyond the initial priority groups in the past week or two. Ontario Premier Dalton
McGuinty and Manitoba Premier Gary Doer have both received their shots, while other provincial leaders say they will be getting theirs as soon as they can schedule a visit to a clinic.
Public health officials are pushing the message that vaccination is the best defence against H1N1 and that it's not too late to be protected against it.
Aglukkaq and Canadian Chief Public Health Officer Dr. David Butler-Jones said this week that the level of H1N1 in some communities is stabilizing, but they emphasized that doesn't mean Canadians should feel complacent about the pandemic.
"I would really strongly encourage Canadians to get the vaccine because we don't know what we're going to see in the new year, come January, February," said Aglukkaq.
The H1N1 virus is still causing severe illness and death. The Public Health Agency of Canada said Thursday 30 new deaths were reported by the provinces in a span of two days.
Sixteen deaths were in Ontario, six in Alberta, five in Quebec, two in British Columbia and one in Saskatchewan.
http://www.canada.com/news/Canada+h...ourages+others+follow+suit/2277800/story.html
By Meagan Fitzpatrick, Canwest News Service
November 27, 2009 5:48 PM
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Canada's Health Minister Leona Aglukkaq receives her H1N1 flu shot from Claire Bahati at a clinic in Ottawa Nov. 27, 2009.
Photograph by: Blair Gable, Reuters
OTTAWA ? Federal Health Minister Leona Aglukkaq received her H1N1 vaccine Friday at a clinic in Ottawa and urged Canadians to follow her example because the virus is so unpredictable.
"For those individuals in Canada who have not yet received their H1N1 vaccine I would encourage you to go out and get the vaccine," Aglukkaq said afterwards.
She said wary Canadians should not be concerned about the vaccine's safety.
"The scientific community has assured us that it is safe for Canadians," she said. "It's one thing I can do to protect myself and my family."
Aglukkaq added that she has given the vaccine to her young son.
The public clinic was running smoothly and Aglukkaq did not have to wait long for her shot. She complimented the nurse on the clinic's organization as she prepared to jab the health minister's arm with the needle.
"I didn't even feel it," Aglukkaq said when the nurse was done.
Political leaders such as Aglukkaq have had to wait their turn to get their shots and in most jurisdictions, the H1N1 clinics only opened up beyond the initial priority groups in the past week or two. Ontario Premier Dalton
McGuinty and Manitoba Premier Gary Doer have both received their shots, while other provincial leaders say they will be getting theirs as soon as they can schedule a visit to a clinic.
Public health officials are pushing the message that vaccination is the best defence against H1N1 and that it's not too late to be protected against it.
Aglukkaq and Canadian Chief Public Health Officer Dr. David Butler-Jones said this week that the level of H1N1 in some communities is stabilizing, but they emphasized that doesn't mean Canadians should feel complacent about the pandemic.
"I would really strongly encourage Canadians to get the vaccine because we don't know what we're going to see in the new year, come January, February," said Aglukkaq.
The H1N1 virus is still causing severe illness and death. The Public Health Agency of Canada said Thursday 30 new deaths were reported by the provinces in a span of two days.
Sixteen deaths were in Ontario, six in Alberta, five in Quebec, two in British Columbia and one in Saskatchewan.
http://www.canada.com/news/Canada+h...ourages+others+follow+suit/2277800/story.html