N.B. flu clinics restrict vaccine access
Last Updated: Monday, November 2, 2009 | 11:20 AM AT
CBC News
A shortage of H1N1 flu vaccine is forcing the cancellation of a number of public clinics around New Brunswick and tighter restrictions for those that remain open.
The federal government has already warned provinces that a shipment of 400,000 H1N1 vaccine doses will be sent out by the manufacturer by the end of this week, down from roughly two million doses that were sent in each of the past three weeks.
New Brunswick health officials are waiting for a new supply of H1N1 vaccine after last week's rollout of the H1N1 vaccine was greeted by long queues of people waiting for their shots.
Clinics in Saint John and Moncton were cancelled last week because they ran out of vaccine.
Dr. Scott Giffin, Saint John's medical health officer, said people not in the priority groups for H1N1 vaccinations need to be patient.
"We're hoping that within a week or two weeks that it can be available, but that will depend on the supply issue," Giffin said.
"The production facility can only produce so much vaccine per unit of time and it's being equally distributed across the country as it comes off the line. Proportionate distribution based on population."
Crackdown on eligibility
On Sunday afternoon, the Department of Health released a lengthy list of H1N1 clinics and openings that have been postponed.
There have been no cancellations in Fredericton, but there has been a crackdown on eligibility.
Clinics on Monday at two Fredericton-area middle schools will be open only to students, while a clinic at the Dr. Everett Chalmers Hospital will provide vaccinations to health-care workers.
An evening clinic will be held in Fredericton, but only members of priority groups will be vaccinated.
The province's chief medical officer of health released a revised set of guidelines on Friday. The high-risk group includes:
- Children aged six months to 18 years.
- Parents of children under six months old.
- Pregnant women, 20 weeks or more.
- Pregnant women, less than 20 weeks, and with underlying medical conditions.
- On-reserve First Nations residents.
The province is asking people who are not in a priority group to wait until other clinics open later in November.
