H1N1 vaccine queues try Canadians' patience
Last Updated: Thursday, October 29, 2009 | 10:12 PM ET
CBC News
Thousands of people who waited in line for hours to receive their H1N1 flu vaccination at the North York Civic Centre in Toronto on Thursday. (Nathan Denette/Canadian Press)The lines of people waiting for H1N1 shots grew across Canada on Thursday, straining resources and nerves.
In Moncton, a vaccination clinic shut down after it was overwhelmed by the number of people seeking the swine flu shot.
"I think it's kind of ridiculous, especially with all the panic that's going on. With all of this you would think they were a little bit more organized," said Andrew Steward, who left without having his children vaccinated.
"My youngest son has got asthma so we're really concerned about him having it."
In Calgary and Ottawa, people waited up to five hours to be inoculated.
Planning rapped
While taking a coffee break in Calgary, Mezaun Evin's thoughts turned to her daughter Shari at home with cerebral palsy.
"Shari doesn't sit very well in her wheelchair for long periods of time," Evin said. "The logistical planning obviously did not include persons with disabilities."
By midday, health officials in Toronto shut two clinics after there were too many people to vaccinate, saying they didn't want people to come and wait and then be told they couldn't be immunized.
To try to accommodate the demand, Ontario will open extra locations and expand operating hours next week.
In Newfoundland and Labrador and Manitoba, health officials warned they may not have enough vaccine to keep some clinics open next week.
Use common sense: MD
In Montreal, emergency room doctors called on parents to practise common sense, and not bring in children showing only minor symptoms.
"We certainly sympathize with the public's angst that's surrounding this H1N1, but I think its important to make the point that based on our collective experience and experience we had in May and June that for the majority of patients this is a benign, self-limiting illness and the children will do very, very well," said Dr. Harley Eisman of Montreal Children's Hospital.
During question period, federal Industry Minister Tony Clement defended the Conservative government's handling of the vaccination effort, saying six million doses of the H1N1 vaccine will be shipped nationwide by the end of the week.
"We are working with the provinces and the territories," Clement said. "Let me say that our health care workers, our nurses, our doctors, our public health care officials are working 24/7 and they deserve all of our support."
