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Manitoba Chief wants to lock down community against swine flu
By Aldo Santin,
Winnipeg Free Press
September 19, 2009
No one in Canada will be left out when the H1N1 flu vaccine is ready, according to Dr. David Butler-Jones.
A new case of the H1N1 virus in Manitoba has prompted the chief of a nearby First Nations reserve to prepare plans to isolate the community until its members can be vaccinated.
Chief Ken Chalmers of the Birdtail Sioux First Nation said he wants to isolate the community of 600 residents from the rest of the province, adding he's fearful of the havoc the virus could cause if it gets established.
"We know we're going to get some (H1N1) cases in our community but our plan is to do preventative work," Chalmers said.
Chalmers said the plan involves advising against travel in and out of the reserve and stockpiling enough food and medication until the entire community can be treated with the H1N1 vaccine.
Birdtail Sioux First Nation is located about 20 kilometres east of the Saskatchewan border, 300 kilometres west of Winnipeg.
Chalmers said a band member who lives in nearby Birtle was diagnosed with the H1N1 virus in the middle of August. The patient, a young man of 21 or 22 years of age, disobeyed his doctor's orders to refrain from travelling and went back to the reserve.
"It was a mild case. He spent some time with his family here on the reserve, against his doctor's orders," Chalmers said. The family was isolated for seven days and there was no sign the virus had spread, he said.
Chalmers said there are 21 pregnant women in the community and 140 school-age children. Chalmers said he's also considering closing the community school.
"We know the virus will spread quickly throughout the community if it gets into the school," Chalmers said. "I don't know why the school opened. We're rolling the dice with our children."
Manitoba Health said there have been 36 new cases of H1N1 since the middle of July, and 21 of them confirmed for the month of August.
However, a spokeswoman said Manitoba would not confirm that one of those cases occurred in Birtle.
Chalmers said he doesn't believe that the H1N1 vaccine will be readily available until December, adding his community wants to protect itself in the meantime.
http://www.calgaryherald.com/health/Chief+wants+lock+down+community+against/2010109/story.html
By Aldo Santin,
Winnipeg Free Press
September 19, 2009
No one in Canada will be left out when the H1N1 flu vaccine is ready, according to Dr. David Butler-Jones.
A new case of the H1N1 virus in Manitoba has prompted the chief of a nearby First Nations reserve to prepare plans to isolate the community until its members can be vaccinated.
Chief Ken Chalmers of the Birdtail Sioux First Nation said he wants to isolate the community of 600 residents from the rest of the province, adding he's fearful of the havoc the virus could cause if it gets established.
"We know we're going to get some (H1N1) cases in our community but our plan is to do preventative work," Chalmers said.
Chalmers said the plan involves advising against travel in and out of the reserve and stockpiling enough food and medication until the entire community can be treated with the H1N1 vaccine.
Birdtail Sioux First Nation is located about 20 kilometres east of the Saskatchewan border, 300 kilometres west of Winnipeg.
Chalmers said a band member who lives in nearby Birtle was diagnosed with the H1N1 virus in the middle of August. The patient, a young man of 21 or 22 years of age, disobeyed his doctor's orders to refrain from travelling and went back to the reserve.
"It was a mild case. He spent some time with his family here on the reserve, against his doctor's orders," Chalmers said. The family was isolated for seven days and there was no sign the virus had spread, he said.
Chalmers said there are 21 pregnant women in the community and 140 school-age children. Chalmers said he's also considering closing the community school.
"We know the virus will spread quickly throughout the community if it gets into the school," Chalmers said. "I don't know why the school opened. We're rolling the dice with our children."
Manitoba Health said there have been 36 new cases of H1N1 since the middle of July, and 21 of them confirmed for the month of August.
However, a spokeswoman said Manitoba would not confirm that one of those cases occurred in Birtle.
Chalmers said he doesn't believe that the H1N1 vaccine will be readily available until December, adding his community wants to protect itself in the meantime.
http://www.calgaryherald.com/health/Chief+wants+lock+down+community+against/2010109/story.html
