Labrador Inuit to get flu vaccine first

[Shiloh]

http://www.cbc.ca/canada/newfoundland-labrador/story/2009/09/25/nl-inuit-influenza-925.html


Labrador Inuit to get flu vaccine first
Last Updated: Friday, September 25, 2009 | 2:10 PM NT
CBC News

Aboriginal people in Labrador will be given the H1N1 vaccine before other area residents, says a provincial health official.

Medical Officer of Health for the Labrador Grenfell health authority, Dr. Muna ar-Rushdi said the health authority will immunize Inuit people on Labrador's north coast first because aboriginal communities in other parts of the country have been hit hard by influenza.

"We will start immediately with those communities. As soon as we receive our vaccine allotment we will be distributing it immediately to those communities," said Ar-Rushdi.

The province is planning a mass-immunization for every N.L. resident who wants to be vaccinated against the new strain of H1N1 influenza.

Dr. Ar-Rushdi says immunizations will probably start in November, but it could be as early as the end of October.

Most Inuit live in fly-in communities and don't have the same access to health care as people in urban areas.

Severely ill patients in from those communities would have to be sent to a larger centre for treatment during a swine flu outbreak.

About one-third of Labrador's Inuit population died in the influenza pandemic of 1918. That outbreak killed more than 20 million people worldwide.

In some Labrador communities, the death toll was extreme. In Okak, for example, 204 of 263 residents died. The community ceased to exist and was never repopulated.

 

[Pathfinder]

Re: Labrador Inuit to get flu vaccine first

H1N1 vaccines available next month

LORIE O'HALLORAN
The Labradorian
Last updated at 10:45 AM on 19/10/09


Vaccinations for H1N1 will be rolled out in the month of November, says Labrador Grenfell Health's Chief Medical Officer.

Dr. Muna Ar-Rushdi, Medical Officer of Health for LGH, said the actual date of roll out would really depend on the revolving disease pattern in Canada.

She said basically this influenza season is different from last year, they are expecting to have seasonal influenza circulating as well as H1N1, and because of this there are changes in the way these vaccines are going to be delivered.

The regional health authorities have plans in progress to provide all the H1N1 vaccinations through Public Health mass immunization clinics, Dr. Ar-Rushdi said.

"The vaccine will be offered to any resident of the province who needs it or wants it at no cost."

Dr. Ar-Rushdi said the seasonal influenza vaccine, commonly referred to as the flu shot, has arrived in Labrador and the Department of Health and Community Services is recommending residents who are considered most as risk for complications of influenza to be vaccinated.

The criteria for those most at risk is:

Anyone over age 65, residents of Long Term Care Homes and similar facilities and adults and children who suffer from chronic heart or lung disease and other diseases which require regular medical treatment such as asthma.

She said the vaccine would be available at no cost for those individuals.

On October 26-30 the seasonal influenza vaccine will be available at the Public Health Office in the Labrador Health Centre, by appointment only. Call 897-2331 to book an appointment.

Clinics will also be held in the communities of Makkovik, Nain, Postville and Rigolet.

Vaccinations will be available in Makkovik on Oct 28-30 from 9am to 4pm at the Public Health Office in the Nunatsiavut Building; call Kim Andersen at 923-2240 to book an appointment

In Nain walk in clinics will be held from November 2-4 with varying times, contact 922-2962 for more information.

A walk in clinic will be held in Postville on November 5 at the Public Health/ Home Care office in the Department of Health Social Development Building. Call 479-9842 for more information.

Rigolet will hold a walk in clinic on November 3 at the Public Health/Home Care office in the Department of health Social Development Building. Call 947-3321 for more information.

Dr. Ar-Rushdi said David Butler Jones, Canada's chief public health officer, has indicated that they are monitoring the activities of H1N1 across Canada and so far it does not look to be as severe as expected nor is it spreading quickly.

Canada has ordered 50 million doses of the H1N1 vaccine.

To date 79 Canadians have died from H1N1.

H1N1 is contagious and is spread mainly from person-to-person through coughing or sneezing. Symptoms of H1N1 may include fever, cough, sore throat, runny or stuffy nose, body aches, headache, chills, fatigue, and vomiting or diarrhea.

Labrador Grenfell Health urges residents to protect themselves against influenza. Residents are advised to wash their hands regularly with soap and water or hand sanitizer. Use a tissue or arm to cover coughs and sneezes and if you are ill stay at home so you don't spread the illness to others.

http://www.thelabradorian.ca/index.cfm?sid=295712&sc=347