Vaccination messages confuse Ottawa parents
Last Updated: Tuesday, November 3, 2009 | 1:40 PM ET
CBC News
Conflicting messages from Ottawa Public Health are confusing some parents about who currently qualifies to receive an H1N1 vaccination.
The City of Ottawa is currently only vaccinating priority groups, including children between six months and five years of age.
But a letter signed by Ottawa's medical officer of health, Dr. Isra Levy, dated Oct. 30, suggests that all school-age children are now eligible for the vaccine.
"Now that the vaccine is available, I strongly encourage you and your children to get vaccinated. Children over six months are eligible for the H1N1 vaccine," Dr. Levy wrote.
The letter has been posted on several school websites and gave many parents the impression that all school-age children are now eligible for the vaccine.
Laura Hawke lined up outside the Tom Brown Arena clinic on Tuesday and picked up a bracelet for each of her two sons — one who is nine, the other a pre-teen.
"[It's] nice to know that today's the day that all school-aged children are allowed to be vaccinated," she said.
Asad Khan is currently caring for five children ranging in age from under five to 17. He picked up five wristbands, believing that Ottawa Public Health had changed its vaccination policy.
"I just found out it's from six months to 17 years of age … So that includes all of them."
Dr. Isra Levy will be asked to clarify who is currently eligible for a vaccine at a briefing Tuesday afternoon.
