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Experts say H1N1 vaccinations were justified
By Aaron Derfel, Montreal Gazette
January 6, 2010 7:03 PM
MONTREAL ? With the second wave of the H1N1 pandemic well behind us ? and far fewer deaths than expected ? some observers have started to question whether a costly mass vaccination campaign was justified.
But two prominent epidemiologists argued Wednesday that the broad campaign was necessary and definitely saved lives.
The Quebec government spent more than $82 million on H1N1 vaccines and other materials, and the final bill could climb to $200 million. After having vaccinated 57 per cent of the population, the province is stuck with up to two million doses, and is considering either selling or giving away the supply to Mexico.
"As it turned out, the mortality and morbidity were less than what we expected," said David Buckeridge, an assistant professor of epidemiology at Montreal's McGill University. "But the decision (to vaccinate everyone) was the right one, and not to do that would have been irresponsible."
Preliminary research by Buckeridge has shown that in Montreal, the "incidence curve" of new flu cases started dropping with the mass vaccinations.
In Quebec City Thursday, Quebec Health Minister Yves Bolduc and Alain Poirier, the province's chief public health officer, are slated to give an update on the H1N1 situation. Poirier is also expected to give details about the start of the seasonal flu vaccine, which had been postponed because of H1N1.
Karine Rivard, Bolduc's press attache, defended the decision to purchase 7.8 million vaccine doses despite initial calls by some to take a more targeted approach.
"There were a number of benefits associated with the vaccination campaign that are incalculable," Rivard said, adding that the campaign raised awareness about the importance of personal hygiene during a pandemic.
In the fall, well before the start of the vaccination campaign, polls suggested that only half of the population would get the shots. The polls proved to be only slightly off.
In Quebec, 2,481 people had been hospitalized as a result of H1N1 complications since the beginning of the second wave on Aug. 30, 2009, and 81 people have died.
Across Canada, H1N1 was responsible for a total of 401 deaths as of Dec. 19, the latest period for which complete figures are available.
That death toll is considerably lower than estimates for the seasonal flu, which range from 1,500 to 2,000. However, very few people ? beyond the elderly and the immuno-compromised ? get seasonal flu shots, so it's difficult to make a comparison.
Still, epidemiologists say that the H1N1 strain of 2009 will go down in history as the least deadly of the last four flu pandemics. Marc Lipsitch, a Harvard University epidemiologist, has calculated that H1N1's death rate is less than 0.1 per cent.
Quebec's H1N1 statistics also belie the prevailing notion during the pandemic that young children ? and not the elderly ? were particularly vulnerable to dying from the swine flu. In fact, 54 per cent of those who died from H1N1 were at least 60 years old. By comparison, two per cent of all deaths occurred in young children and infants.
However, 40 per cent of all hospitalizations were for young children and infants, compared with 17 per cent for those at least 60 years old.
Despite H1N1's relatively low mortality rate, Lipsitch also endorsed the mass vaccination campaign.
aderfel@thegazette.canwest.com
? Copyright (c) Canwest News Service
http://www.canada.com/health/Expert...n=Feed:+canwest/F75+(canada.com+National+News)
By Aaron Derfel, Montreal Gazette
January 6, 2010 7:03 PM
MONTREAL ? With the second wave of the H1N1 pandemic well behind us ? and far fewer deaths than expected ? some observers have started to question whether a costly mass vaccination campaign was justified.
But two prominent epidemiologists argued Wednesday that the broad campaign was necessary and definitely saved lives.
The Quebec government spent more than $82 million on H1N1 vaccines and other materials, and the final bill could climb to $200 million. After having vaccinated 57 per cent of the population, the province is stuck with up to two million doses, and is considering either selling or giving away the supply to Mexico.
"As it turned out, the mortality and morbidity were less than what we expected," said David Buckeridge, an assistant professor of epidemiology at Montreal's McGill University. "But the decision (to vaccinate everyone) was the right one, and not to do that would have been irresponsible."
Preliminary research by Buckeridge has shown that in Montreal, the "incidence curve" of new flu cases started dropping with the mass vaccinations.
In Quebec City Thursday, Quebec Health Minister Yves Bolduc and Alain Poirier, the province's chief public health officer, are slated to give an update on the H1N1 situation. Poirier is also expected to give details about the start of the seasonal flu vaccine, which had been postponed because of H1N1.
Karine Rivard, Bolduc's press attache, defended the decision to purchase 7.8 million vaccine doses despite initial calls by some to take a more targeted approach.
"There were a number of benefits associated with the vaccination campaign that are incalculable," Rivard said, adding that the campaign raised awareness about the importance of personal hygiene during a pandemic.
In the fall, well before the start of the vaccination campaign, polls suggested that only half of the population would get the shots. The polls proved to be only slightly off.
In Quebec, 2,481 people had been hospitalized as a result of H1N1 complications since the beginning of the second wave on Aug. 30, 2009, and 81 people have died.
Across Canada, H1N1 was responsible for a total of 401 deaths as of Dec. 19, the latest period for which complete figures are available.
That death toll is considerably lower than estimates for the seasonal flu, which range from 1,500 to 2,000. However, very few people ? beyond the elderly and the immuno-compromised ? get seasonal flu shots, so it's difficult to make a comparison.
Still, epidemiologists say that the H1N1 strain of 2009 will go down in history as the least deadly of the last four flu pandemics. Marc Lipsitch, a Harvard University epidemiologist, has calculated that H1N1's death rate is less than 0.1 per cent.
Quebec's H1N1 statistics also belie the prevailing notion during the pandemic that young children ? and not the elderly ? were particularly vulnerable to dying from the swine flu. In fact, 54 per cent of those who died from H1N1 were at least 60 years old. By comparison, two per cent of all deaths occurred in young children and infants.
However, 40 per cent of all hospitalizations were for young children and infants, compared with 17 per cent for those at least 60 years old.
Despite H1N1's relatively low mortality rate, Lipsitch also endorsed the mass vaccination campaign.
aderfel@thegazette.canwest.com
? Copyright (c) Canwest News Service
http://www.canada.com/health/Expert...n=Feed:+canwest/F75+(canada.com+National+News)