Shiloh
Editor, Senior Moderator
Source: http://www.canada.com/Manitoba+First+Nations+ready+swine+resurgence+Chiefs/1861451/story.html
Manitoba First Nations not ready for swine-flu resurgence: Chiefs
Remote towns received little help for first outbreak
By Jen Skerritt and Aldo Santin, Winnipeg Free PressAugust 5, 2009
Remote Manitoba First Nations are worried a resurgence of swine flu will hit before they're armed with the same arsenal of tools that helped a nearby Ontario reserve "stop flu in its tracks."
Two months after the first sick patients were airlifted from isolated Manitoba reserves such as St. Theresa Point and Garden Hill, chiefs say they are still in the dark about whether drugs such as Tamiflu will be available should H1N1 resurface in the coming weeks.
There were 24 confirmed cases of H1N1 in St. Theresa Point, which is about 500 kilometres northeast of Winnipeg, and another seven confirmed cases in nearby Garden Hill.
The chiefs are asking why their communities received next to no antiviral drugs, when the northwestern Ontario First Nation of Sandy Lake was given 1,800 doses to control an H1N1 outbreak there.
Sandy Lake, which is just across the Ontario border from the St. Theresa Point reserve, "stopped flu in its tracks"by administering Tamiflu from Ontario's stockpile to anyone with H1N1 symptoms, said St. Theresa Point Chief David McDougall.
In contrast, only one or two residents on his reserve got antiviral medication during the outbreak in May, McDougall said, and there are currently only 48 doses of Tamiflu on hand in the community of 3,200 people.
Tamiflu can reduce the duration of flu symptoms and possibly prevent complications, if taken within 48 hours of first symptoms.
A senior Manitoba Health official said its stockpile of H1N1 antiviral drugs was made available to Health Canada for distribution among the province's First Nation communities.
Health Canada, which is responsible for health services on First Nation reserves, is providing antivirals from provincial stockpiles to treat cases on reserve.
Terry Goertzen, an assistant deputy minister of health in Manitoba, said Ottawa did not request from his government more than the 45 courses, or 450 doses, of Tamiflu it was given in mid-May to deal with an H1N1 outbreak on reserves.
"When it comes to health care on First Nation communities, (Ottawa) takes the lead," Goertzen said, adding no special requests for additional antiviral drugs were made to deal with the outbreak in the Island Lake communities.
In an e-mailed statement, Health Canada spokeswoman Christelle Legault said "adequate supplies of the antiviral Tamiflu have been shipped to affected communities, and Health Canada continues to work closely with provinces and territories to help ensure that requirements for antivirals are met in a timely fashion."
Manitoba First Nations not ready for swine-flu resurgence: Chiefs
Remote towns received little help for first outbreak
By Jen Skerritt and Aldo Santin, Winnipeg Free PressAugust 5, 2009
Remote Manitoba First Nations are worried a resurgence of swine flu will hit before they're armed with the same arsenal of tools that helped a nearby Ontario reserve "stop flu in its tracks."
Two months after the first sick patients were airlifted from isolated Manitoba reserves such as St. Theresa Point and Garden Hill, chiefs say they are still in the dark about whether drugs such as Tamiflu will be available should H1N1 resurface in the coming weeks.
There were 24 confirmed cases of H1N1 in St. Theresa Point, which is about 500 kilometres northeast of Winnipeg, and another seven confirmed cases in nearby Garden Hill.
The chiefs are asking why their communities received next to no antiviral drugs, when the northwestern Ontario First Nation of Sandy Lake was given 1,800 doses to control an H1N1 outbreak there.
Sandy Lake, which is just across the Ontario border from the St. Theresa Point reserve, "stopped flu in its tracks"by administering Tamiflu from Ontario's stockpile to anyone with H1N1 symptoms, said St. Theresa Point Chief David McDougall.
In contrast, only one or two residents on his reserve got antiviral medication during the outbreak in May, McDougall said, and there are currently only 48 doses of Tamiflu on hand in the community of 3,200 people.
Tamiflu can reduce the duration of flu symptoms and possibly prevent complications, if taken within 48 hours of first symptoms.
A senior Manitoba Health official said its stockpile of H1N1 antiviral drugs was made available to Health Canada for distribution among the province's First Nation communities.
Health Canada, which is responsible for health services on First Nation reserves, is providing antivirals from provincial stockpiles to treat cases on reserve.
Terry Goertzen, an assistant deputy minister of health in Manitoba, said Ottawa did not request from his government more than the 45 courses, or 450 doses, of Tamiflu it was given in mid-May to deal with an H1N1 outbreak on reserves.
"When it comes to health care on First Nation communities, (Ottawa) takes the lead," Goertzen said, adding no special requests for additional antiviral drugs were made to deal with the outbreak in the Island Lake communities.
In an e-mailed statement, Health Canada spokeswoman Christelle Legault said "adequate supplies of the antiviral Tamiflu have been shipped to affected communities, and Health Canada continues to work closely with provinces and territories to help ensure that requirements for antivirals are met in a timely fashion."