Northern Health Not Ready to Roll Out H1N1 Just Yet

Monday, October 26, 2009 03:59 AM

Prince George, B.C.- The seasonal flu shot clinics continue throughout Northern Health this week, and while the Province has received more than 230 thousand doses of the H1N1 flu vaccine, that vaccine is not expected to be rolled out in Northern Health until next Monday, November 2^nd.

“It is possible we may have more information on H1N1 immunization for the high risk groups later today” says Eryn Collins of Northern Health’s Communications office. Those high risk groups may be able to receive their vaccine before the end of this week.

The high risk groups are:

Persons under the age of 65 with chronic conditions
Pregnant women
Persons living in remote and isolated settings or communities (including all First Nations people living on-reserve)

After the initial group has been vaccinated, access to the vaccine will be expanded to include the following:

All initial groups as outlined above (who were not vaccinated during the first round)
Children 6 months to less than 5 years of age
Health-care workers (including all health-care system workers involved with the pandemic response or delivery of essential health services)
Household contacts and care providers of infants less than 6 months of age, and persons who are immuno-compromised

People who fall into these groups AND for whom the seasonal flu vaccine is normally recommended will be able to receive both shots at the same time.

There are still a couple of seasonal flu clinics set for the Prince George region this week, they are as follows:

Northern Interior Health Unit

1444 Edmonton St. October,27,30,November 3,6 1:00-4:00

Hart Pioneer Seniors Center

6986 Hart Highway October 29 9:00-3:00

Further details can be found at Northern Health’s influenza community clinic page which is accessible by clicking here.

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Posted on Monday, October 26, 2009 03:59 AM in News by 250 News

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Comments

Posted by: BCRacer on October 26 2009 6:26 AM

For some reason I am not surprised at the vaccine is not expected to be rolled out in Northern Health "until next Monday, November 2nd".
Why is that?
Are we so isolated that they can't fly the vacine into our nice new long runway airport?
or is the problem more in the line of "HUMAN"...
or is it just "POLITICS"?
or lazyness?
I'd love to know

Posted by: Shellshadow on October 26 2009 8:04 AM

Then can send 10 million shots here and I still would not take it. :}

Posted by: BCRacer on October 26 2009 9:04 AM

My issue isn't if people take it or if they don't. That is a choice. I guess my big question is when it supposed to be available CANADA wide today and Prince George can't get it for at least another week. Makes me wonder what is up with that. It is widely available in the lower mainland.

Posted by: jales4 on October 26 2009 3:23 PM

"Dr David Bowering, Northern Health Chief Medical Health Officer says the fact that many of the rural areas have not received the vaccine is due to the remoteness and the difficulty in trying to get the product into their hands."

Prince George is remote? Is this 1920 and the only courier company uses a horse and wagon?

Put some on the plane, it will be here in an hour.

Really!!

Posted by: BCRacer on October 26 2009 4:00 PM

Good idea jales4...make use of that nice new runway we have....if they can get by all the planes that are lined up waiting to land or is that laugh...

Posted by: acrider54 on October 26 2009 5:32 PM

Don't forget, we live in Prince George, that's a hell of a long way from B.C.

Posted by: BCRacer on October 26 2009 5:42 PM

Yes, we are beyond Hope aren't we...

Posted by: jonnypg on October 26 2009 11:49 PM

nice one, acrider54!