Quebec - Novel H1N1 Vaccine Availability

[Pathfinder]

H1N1 vaccinations start Monday in Quebec

Province confirms 1st death since August

Last Updated: Wednesday, October 21, 2009 | 8:20 PM ET

CBC News

Health Minister Yves Bolduc, left, and Quebec's chief public health officer Dr. Alain Poirier say the vaccination campaign will start Monday. (CBC) <META content="MSHTML 6.00.2900.5848" name=GENERATOR><LINK title=/iw/ewebeditpro20/feature.css disabled href="/iw/ewebeditpro20/feature.css" rel=stylesheet>
Quebec's vaccination campaign against H1N1 will start Monday, Health Minister Yves Bolduc says.

The move comes as the federal government officially approved the swine flu vaccine.

The vaccine is the best way to protect against the flu but remains a personal choice, Bolduc said Wednesday.

Dr. Alain Poirier, Quebec's chief public health officer, said the second wave of the flu has already begun in the province.

Officials confirmed the death of an 87-year-old woman from the Chaudi?re-Appalaches region on Tuesday, Poirier said, noting she was the first person since August to die from complications relating to the virus.

The government has already distributed 400,000 doses of the vaccine to the province's regions.

The first to be vaccinated will include:

• Health-care workers.
• Pregnant women.
• Children between six months and five years of age.
• Family members of people with chronic illnesses who cannot be vaccinated.
• People living in isolated regions.

The vaccine is not effective on children under six months of age and should not be given to people who already have a fever, Poirier said.

"Every person that will have it will decrease the risk of having the flu for himself and for others," he said. "The vaccine as far as we know is really [effective]. It provides protection ?antibodies in 95 to 97 per cent of people within 10 days.?

The capacity to deliver the vaccine should not be a problem, Poirier said, although he acknowledged it would take time for the province to receive enough vaccine to inoculate all of those who want it.

The public will be notified when the vaccine will be available for different target groups, Poirier said. Information will be posted on the Health Ministry's website by Saturday.

Regional officials are also expected to make announcements over the coming days.


http://www.cbc.ca/canada/montreal/story/2009/10/21/quebec-h1n1-vaccination-starts.html

 

[Pathfinder]

Re: Quebec - Novel H1N1 Vaccine Availability

<!--/montrealgazette/header_nav.inc --><!-- navbarwrapper ends --><!-- navabr ends -->Shots start Monday in Quebec

Most vulnerable have priority; H1N1 vaccine will be in short supply at first, so some may be turned away

By KEVIN DOUGHERTY, The Gazette
October 22, 2009



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Sign of things to come? Americans wait in line yesterday to receive an H1N1 flu vaccine at a health centre in Rockville, Md.Photograph by: SAUL LOEB, AFP VIA GETTY IMAGES, The Gazette




The second wave of the H1N1 flu virus is already hitting Quebec, the province's public health director said yesterday in announcing that vaccinations, starting with those most vulnerable, will begin on Monday.

Alain Poirier said the second wave of the disease, which was expected in February or March, has already started, with 174 cases since September and Quebec's 28th death from H1N1 this week - an 87-year-old woman living in the L?vis region.

Those being vaccinated starting Monday are those most at risk: pregnant women, adults under age 65 suffering from chronic diseases, children between 6 months and 9 years, health-care professionals and people living in remote regions of the province.

Poirier warned that Quebec has only 400,000 doses of the vaccine - which received Health Canada approval yesterday - so some people lining up for their inoculations next week might be turned away.

But Quebec expects to have an additional 600,000 to 800,000 doses a week once the vaccination campaign is under way. "We will make adjustments if everyone shows up at once," Health Minister Yves Bolduc added, admitting there could be logistical problems.

"This will be the biggest campaign of its sort in the history of Quebec," Bolduc added.

The vaccinations are free for all Quebec residents and will be administered seven days a week in temporary clinics set up across the province.
People should present their medicare card or other ID so the government can track who has been vaccinated, Poirier said.

Quebec's regional health agencies are expected to issue more information about the vaccination centres, and starting Saturday, their locations will be listed on the government website www.pandemiequebec.gouv.qc.ca

The vaccine does not work on children younger than 6 months; for children under 9, two half-doses of the adjuvanted vaccine are recommended, with a three-week interval between shots.

An adjuvant is an additive that boosts the vaccine's effectiveness. An unadjuvanted H1N1 vaccine will be available in two or three weeks for pregnant women who want to wait for the unboosted dose. But Poirier said health officials believe the adjuvanted vaccine is safe for pregnant women. Although adjuvants are commonly used in vaccines, it's a relatively new development to put them in flu vaccines, and there are not a lot of data on how they work in pregnant women.

The adjuvanted H1N1 vaccine now available is between 95 and 98 per cent effective against H1N1, Poirier said.

But many Quebecers have indicated they don't wish to be vaccinated. Poirier said that as people here realize this initiative is part of a global campaign against a worldwide virus, they will choose to get the vaccine.

Poirier said he would be pleased if 80 per cent of Quebecers are vaccinated.

People allergic to eggs cannot be vaccinated, because the vaccine is grown in an egg culture.

People who are sick or have a fever will be turned away.
Poirier said the adjuvanted vaccine might present more noticeable side effects than the seasonal flu vaccine, and it carries a risk of contracting Guillain-Barr? syndrome.

But he said the odds of the vaccine resulting in a severe form of Guillan-Barr?, which can cause feelings of weakness or even paralysis, are about one in a million, and that Quebecers will be informed about all the vaccine's possible side effects.

The vaccine takes five to 10 days to become effective.


http://www.montrealgazette.com/health/Shots+start+Monday+Quebec/2130894/story.html

 

[Pathfinder]

Re: Quebec - Novel H1N1 Vaccine Availability

Quebec begins H1N1 vaccinations after school outbreak

October 25, 2009 THE CANADIAN PRESS

MONTREAL?Authorities in Quebec began vaccinations for the H1NI virus two days ahead of schedule Saturday after a school was hit by a second wave of the flu.

A health centre in Trois-Pistoles, 200 kilometres northeast of Quebec City, confirmed Friday that 13 students from Arc-en-Ciel high school had mild cases of the flu. Almost a third of the 393 students were absent last week with various health complaints.

Ottawa approved the H1N1 vaccine Wednesday and it will be available to some high-risk groups Monday, though schedules differ from region to region. Toronto clinics are to start vaccinations on Nov. 2

The Quebec move came as U.S. President Barack Obama declared the pandemic a national emergency in an effort to speed treatment to thousands of infected people.
White House officials said the effort is designed to make decisions easier when they need to be made.

The declaration authorizes Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius to bypass federal rules when opening off-site hospital centres. Flu activity ? virtually all of it the swine flu ? is now widespread in 46 U.S. states, the level of a typical winter flu season. It is estimated the flu has killed more than 1,000 Americans and hospitalized more than 20,000.

A spokesman for the Ontario Health Ministry said neither move will affect Ontario's course of action because the province is already acting with a sense of urgency. "We're able to take those steps without having to invoke emergency legislation," said Kevin Finnerty.

Ontario doctors, meanwhile, are asking employers to reconsider asking for a doctor's note from those absent from work due to flu.

"In order to help reduce the transmission of H1N1 and other illnesses, Ontario's doctors believe it is wise for patients to stay home when they have flu-like symptoms," said Dr. Suzanne Strasberg, president of the Ontario Medical Association.

Federal Health Minister Leona Aglukkaq said Canadians who don't get vaccinated are needlessly putting themselves and others at risk. "We're starting to see more cases in Canada, we're seeing more deaths and we don't know how bad it's going to be," she told the Calgary Sun.





Toronto Star

http://www.healthzone.ca/health/new...gins-h1n1-vaccinations-after-school-outbreak#

 

[Diane Morin]

Re: Quebec - Novel H1N1 Vaccine Availability


http://www.pandemiequebec.gouv.qc.ca/en/index.aspx@sujet=143.html

 

[Pathfinder]

Re: Quebec - Novel H1N1 Vaccine Availability

Quebec swine flu vaccinations start ahead of schedule

Updated: Sat Oct. 24 2009 6:53:43 PM

<SCRIPT language=javascript type=text/javascript> var byString = ""; var sourceString = "ctvmontreal.ca"; if ((sourceString != "") && (byString != "")) { document.write(byString + ", "); } else { document.write(byString); }</SCRIPT>ctvmontreal.ca

Quebec health officials are dealing with an outbreak of swine flu in a small Gaspe town, which prompted them to begin vaccinations against the H1N1 virus for health care workers two days ahead of schedule.

Thirteen high school students at Arc-en-Ciel high school in Trois Pistoles, about 200 kilometres northeast of Quebec city, have come down with the swine flu.

All of the cases were mild, but about a third of the school's 393 students stayed home last week because of various health complaints.

The school will remain open, but officials are encouraging preventative measures such as hand washing.

Vaccination schedule

The vaccination schedule is the same across the province, with health care workers and first responders being vaccinated before the rest of the population.

The second group to be vaccinated will be parents with infants, followed by pregnant women and families with young children.

Healthy Quebecers over the age of five will be in the last group to be vaccinated.

English information

A government information booklet on the swine flu is now readily available in English. Last week, French-language versions of the document were delivered to every household in the province.

English-language versions of the Self-care Guide were included in Saturday's edition of The Gazette.

To access the information online in English, click here.

The numbers

As of Saturday, roughly 260 Quebecers had confirmed cases of swine flu, according to public health officials.

At least 55 people in Montreal have contracted the virus, with six people sick enough to be hospitalized.

Almost 1,300 Montrealers got the swine flu in the spring and summer, and the second wave -- which is expected to last through Christmas -- is expected to affect up to 35 percent of the population.

With files from The Canadian Press

http://montreal.ctv.ca/servlet/an/l...H1N1_Quebec_091024/20091024/?hub=MontrealHome

 

[pamwv41]

Re: Quebec - Novel H1N1 Vaccine Availability

I have a friend in a monastery in Quebec. A person from the health department came out and gave them an excellent lecture on H1N1. All 50 of the monks will be vaccinated regardless of age next week. Canada's response to H1N1 seems so well-organized and efficient. Here everything seems so patchy and haphazard. I hope my perceptions are wrong. We don't even have the vaccine yet except for health care workers.

 

[Pathfinder]

Re: Quebec - Novel H1N1 Vaccine Availability

H1N1 vaccinations late in Montreal

Initial batch includes 155,000 swine flu shots for Montreal

Charlie Fidelman, Montreal Gazette: Monday, October 26, 2009 1:57 PM

MONTREAL ?

Where is the H1N1 vaccine? In Montreal, it is now en route.

Montreal?s mass vaccination announced last week ? the goal is 1.4 million people within two months ? got off to a late start Monday: delivery and taking possession.

Montreal health department officials are scrambling to distribute 155,000 doses that were delivered Friday and Sunday night.

That means workers at most Montreal hospitals are not rolling up their sleeves today for the shot because there?s none on site.

Montreal?s two university hospital centres ? Centre hospitalier de l?Universit? de Montr?al and McGill University Health Centre ? say they plan to start the employee flu jab program as of Nov. 2.


For information about vaccination centres in Montreal, visit

Map: H1N1 vaccination centres in Montreal (PDF)


http://www.globalmaritimes.com/health/story.html?id=2146720#

 

[Pathfinder]

Re: Quebec - Novel H1N1 Vaccine Availability

H1N1 vaccination rolls out in Montreal

Last Updated: Wednesday, October 28, 2009 | 12:15 PM ET

CBC News

Gynecologist Andr? Fortier gets his H1N1 vaccination from Marie-No?l Ouellette in Longueuil, Que. (Ryan Remiorz/Canadian Press)

Quebec health officials say the province is in its second wave of H1N1 infections, just as a mass vaccination campaign gets off the ground in major cities.

Public health officials in Montreal say widespread vaccination started at 56 different medical sites across the island on Wednesday morning.

The first round of doses targets medical staff and seriously ill patients in hospitals first, before other priority groups such as pregnant women and children are called as of Nov. 6.

David Levine, director general of Montreal's Public Health Agency, said a second wave of the flu is spreading, but the situation is under control.

Indicators such as new diagnoses, test requests and calls to the city's health information line indicate that "people are either more worried, or have more symptoms than even a month ago," Levine said at a news conference on Wednesday.

At least 400 new cases of the flu have been reported in the last week, up from 70 cases two weeks ago. Eight schools in the Montreal area have reported cases of the flu.

Several students at McGill University and at the Universit? du Qu?bec ? Montr?al (UQ?M) have also contracted the respiratory virus.
Health authorities are hoping to dispense 86,000 doses of the vaccine in upcoming days.

Quebec's Association of Obstetricians and Gynecologists are recommending health officials advance their vaccination schedules for pregnant women past 20 weeks' gestation, regardless of concerns about the adjuvant.

The association is recommending pregnant women at 20 weeks or more be inoculated immediately, even if it is with a dose containing the adjuvant.

An adjuvant is an additive that serves to boost the body's immune-system reaction to the vaccine. There are concerns about its side-effects during pregnancy.

http://www.cbc.ca/canada/montreal/story/2009/10/28/quebec-h1n1-vaccination.html

 

[Pathfinder]

Re: Quebec - Novel H1N1 Vaccine Availability

Quebec takes city's top health official to task

Why the delay? Minister demands. 8 schools report outbreaks of swine flu; ERs swamped at pediatric hospitals

CHARLIE FIDELMAN, The Gazette: Thursday, October 29, 2009 12:13 PM

MONTREAL - Quebec Health Minister Yves Bolduc chastised Montreal's top health official for failing to deploy the city's H1N1 vaccination program as planned months in advance.

Concerned that further inoculation delays would put people at risk for swine flu infection now that the virus is in hyper speed, Bolduc personally called David Levine, head of the Montreal Health and Social Services Agency, to demand an explanation.

Bolduc made the call late Monday night, said his press attache Marie-?ve B?dard.

There was no reason for Montreal's delay, B?dard said.

Not only did the city have the vaccine on hand "for quite a while," but also the authority to hand over the doses to the 12 local health agencies responsible for handling the campaign at various sites, she said. "So the minister found it difficult to understand why Montreal hadn't started its vaccination." Levine promised that the plan would be on track by 10 a.m. yesterday, with the vaccine delivered to every hospital, clinic and nursing home.

But at a press briefing held yesterday morning, Levine said that as far as he was concerned, there were no delays.

Accompanied by Richard Lessard, head of public health, and Louise Massicotte, in charge of the vaccine program at local health agencies, Levine explained that plans initially called for a mid-November start date and it was a huge logistical job for the agency to prepare for an earlier start on Oct. 26.

In fact, Lessard added, it was actually a good thing that Montreal did not start immunizing Monday because only that evening the vaccine manufacturer provided health authorities with new handling directives.

Sensitive to light and heat, the vaccine itself must be kept at temperatures between 2 to 8 degrees C, and if not used within 24 hours of being mixed with the adjuvant and one hour of filling a syringe, it will expire, Lessard said.

Back in Bolduc's office, B?dard, however, dismissed these "new" vaccine directives: "This is the first time I've heard of this. I don't know why he said that. The procedures have been known for a long time ... and Montreal was in charge of sending (early) vaccine to northern Quebec." Neither Levine nor Lessard was available to comment.

Why does Quebec seem to be running late with its public vaccine plan - set to open in Montreal next week - compared with other provinces that are opening clinics for the general public today? The vaccine schedule is dictated by the weekly number of doses made available by Ottawa, B?dard said, and each province will get its equitable share of it and each has its own vaccination priorities.

"We wanted to guarantee that those most at risk will get it first," B?dard said, to avoid a situation where demand could outstrip vaccine supply.
Montreal has 95 confirmed cases of H1N1, and 12 have been hospitalized, including two in intensive care.

But that's an underestimate because the agency is not tracking the illness in real time. The agency has recommended that people stay home with flu signs - dry cough and fever - rather than sap hospital resources with demands for H1N1 testing, unless symptoms start to include breathing difficulties.

Quebec's Info-Sante call centre has added more manpower to staff the 8-1-1 line, which is getting a spike in calls, while hospital emergency rooms are reporting swine flu traffic is up significantly.

Montreal's two pediatric hospitals, Ste. Justine and the Montreal Children's, are warning that their ERs are being overwhelmed with parents demanding their children be tested for swine flu despite showing only mild flu-like symptoms and fever.

Eight Montreal schools reported a outbreak of swine flu illness in the last 24 hours, double the number of schools hit during the past two weeks. An outbreak means more than 10 per cent of students are absent with flu symptoms.

Several parents have told The Gazette they are worried about their children, given a Toronto teen's death Monday from the virus within 48 hours of developing minor cold symptoms. Also, they are upset that the health agency will not identify schools where outbreaks occurred.

Levine's agency says it is monitoring the situation and will change vaccine priorities if the virus is causing more complications or deaths.

Widespread vaccination started at 56 sites across the island yesterday, targeting the seriously ill and medical staff in hospitals and other medical facilities.

Such priority groups as pregnant women and children are next, on Nov. 6, but Quebec's Association of Obstetricians and Gynecologists is recommending health officials advance their vaccination schedules and immediately inoculate pregnant women past 20 weeks gestation.

- - -
H1N1

Get the latest updates about the pandemic, the government's response and the resources at your disposal at www.montrealgazette.com/health/swine-flu/index.html

Vaccination sites by region

Montreal
http://vaccination.msss.gouv.qc.ca/carte_region.php?region=06

Off-island suburbs
http://vaccination.msss.gouv.qc.ca/carte_region.php?region=16

Laval
http://vaccination.msss.gouv.qc.ca/carte_region.php?region=13

Mass vaccination schedules
Nov. 6 start:
- Parents with children under 6 months.
- Adults with immune deficiencies.
- Families with members who are immune deficient.

Nov. 9 start:
- Pregnant women.
- Children (age 6 months to 5 years) and their parents.

Nov. 16 start:
- Children age 18 and under with a chronic illness.

Nov. 23 start:
- Adults age 18 to 65 with a chronic illness.

Dec. 7 start:
- Healthy adults and children older than age 5.

For information online: pandemiequebec.gouv.qc.ca/en/index.aspx@sujet=143.html

 

[Pathfinder]

Re: Quebec - Novel H1N1 Vaccine Availability

Quebecers queue for H1N1 shot

Last Updated: Friday, October 30, 2009 | 12:46 PM ET

CBC News

Nearly 1,000 people lined up before dawn on Friday at a makeshift vaccination clinic north of Montreal, where health officials launched a local H1N1 inoculation this week, ahead of many other regions in the province.

The clinic in Saint-Eustache only opened at 12:30 p.m. on Friday, but hundreds of people braved the cool and wet weather to score a spot in line as early as 5 a.m.

CBC's French-language service reported that one woman even slept in her car in order to secure a spot at the front of the line.

The clinic was overrun on Thursday with nearly 2,000 people, many from outside the community, after news spread that anyone willing to wait would get vaccinated.

Many people who brought their children with the hopes of jumping the priority queue established by Quebec's Health Ministry were enraged when they were turned away at the end of the day.

On Friday, authorities said they would turn away people who don't live in the region and who don't fit the priority criteria, in order to keep lines more manageable. The clinic can only vaccinate 225 people an hour.

Quebec Health Minister Yves Bolduc insists the vaccination campaign is under control despite widespread reports of lineups, delays and insufficient stock of the Tamiflu vaccine.

Speaking in Gatineau, Bolduc said it's up to local health authorities to decide whether they are willing to inoculate people who don't live in their region.

Quebec is receiving more than 400,000 doses of Tamiflu a week, he said, countering accusations from Opposition Parti Qu?b?cois that the province is getting shortchanged by federal health authorities.


http://www.cbc.ca/canada/montreal/story/2009/10/30/quebec-h1n1-vaccination-delays-lineups.html

 

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Re: Quebec - Novel H1N1 Vaccine Availability

Seniors asked to wait for shots as H1N1-vaccine shortage looms


By Richard Watts, Times Colonist
October 30, 2009




People line up for flu shots Thursday at Westshore Town Centre.

Photograph by: Darren Stone, Times Colonist


Seniors are being asked to stay away from the special clinics doling out the H1N1 vaccine after public-health officials learned vaccine delivery is slowing down.

Dr. Perry Kendall, provincial health officer, said word came from federal health officials yesterday of the impending reduction in distribution of the H1N1 vaccine because of production problems.

?This means our vaccination program will be somewhat more targeted, somewhat more phased and will probably take longer than we thought it would,? said Kendall.

As a result, public-health nurses will stop handing out shots to seniors for the seasonal flu and H1N1, said Dr. Richard Stanwick, chief medical officer of health for the Vancouver Island Health Authority.

Instead, they will focus on offering the H1N1 vaccine to this week?s priority groups: pregnant women, people under the age of 65 with underlying health conditions such as asthma or diabetes, those in remote communities and First Nations people.

Stanwick said seniors can take confidence from findings showing people born in 1957 or earlier already have some immunity.

?With age comes not only wisdom but also immunity,? he said. ?These people are the best group, the most likely to fight off swine flu.

?Right now we need to focus on the groups that are at the greatest risk.?
He also noted the only strain of flu now circulating in the community is the H1N1 variety. The seasonal flu has not arrived in B.C. and historically has never turned up before late December. In recent years, it?s been showing up in February and March.

Anybody who wants a shot for seasonal flu can still approach their doctor or buy one from a pharmacy.

Those in line for H1N1 shots next week include children aged six months to five years, household contacts of infants and health-care workers, but the latter category has been narrowed down to include only those working on the front lines, such as intensive-care units or emergency rooms.

Some H1N1 vaccine is expected to be distributed to GPs next week.
VIHA?s first mass-immunization clinic, in donated space at Westshore Town Centre, went smoothly Thursday with hundreds of people vaccinated.

?It?s been fantastic ? we?ve got through hundreds and hundreds of people and everyone seems really happy,? said Sandra Herbison, manager of public health units.

Volunteers staffed tables to meet people as they entered. Security guards assigned times for people to come back and line up, and numbers were distributed.

The result was that nobody had to wait for hours in line outside, unless they showed up prior to the clinic?s scheduled 1 p.m. opening.
Previous clinics in much smaller spaces earlier in the week ended up with people standing in line, in some cases for hours, before being turned away.

On Thursday Melissa Ngawati showed up with her two children, Kiri, 8, and Quinn, 10, at 11 a.m. and called her husband, Tony, to join them when it looked as if they were about to be admitted to the building. The entire family is asthmatic, so they were on the eligible list.

Ngawati said the time in line was made bearable by a donation of baked treats from a nearby Cob?s Bakery for those waiting. ?I think they?ve done really well ? it?s really well organized.?

The federal government said it was informed by Canada?s H1N1 vaccine manufacturer, GlaxoSmithKline, that the vaccine supply will be lower next week because its facility only has one production line for two types of vaccine ? one for pregnant women and one for everyone else.

The mass clinic at Westshore Town Centre continues Friday.

http://www.montrealgazette.com/health/Victoria+Seniors+asked+wait+shots/2160703/story.html

 

[Pathfinder]

Re: Quebec - Novel H1N1 Vaccine Availability

Thousands of people lined up to get the flu vaccine in St. Eustache (Oct. 29, 2009)
More lineups for limited H1N1 vaccine

Updated: Fri Oct. 30 2009 4:55:44 PM
ctvmontreal.ca

There were more lineups for the H1N1 vaccine Friday, as hundreds of people in the Montreal area waited hours to receive their dose of the limited supply.

In St. Eustache, north of Laval, more than 1,000 people were turned away Thursday, and many returned Friday to receive their shot.

"I was here since 8 this morning, but I came yesterday, and waited four hours for nothing, because at 7:30, they closed the door. We were only 50 people left, but they refused to let us in because they said, 'We finish at 7:30 - but they had the vaccine,'" complained one patient while waiting for the shot.

The lineups come amid confusion about directions from the government. Priority was set among certain high-risk groups first:

• children 6 months to 5 years;
• people with chronic illnesses;
• health care workers.

Earlier this week, however, government health officials admitted no one would be turned away.

"The question was asked if someone shows up and they're very anxious and they're very worried and it's really starting to affect their health should they get the vaccine," said David Levine, director general of Montreal's Public Health Agency, earlier this week.

The news sparked lengthy queues at open vaccination sites, particularly because very few have open so far, prompting residents from throughout the city.

Now, health officials are asking the population to respect the priority scheduling, as well as show I.D., proving local residency. The move comes in face of fears the supply will be extinguished too soon.

"I think if there's a certain amount of vaccines available they should limit it to the certain area that they're doing .

Quebec is receiving 400,000 doses of the vaccine every week, means every Quebecer will have the option to be vaccinated by late December.

More vaccination centres on the island of Montreal are expected be open by next week.

Vaccination sites:

Vaccinations for members of the general population who are in good health won't begin until Dec. 7.

The following locations have been named as H1N1 vaccination sites:

Open 7 days a week, from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. from Nov. 6 to 15
- Lachine General Hospital - 3320 Notre Dame St.
- Carrefour Angrignon - 7077 Newman Blvd.
- Patro Le Pr?vost Community Centre - 7355 Christophe-Colomb Ave.
- St-Laurent Leisure Centre - 1375 Grenet St.
- Southwest Physergo medical clinic - 5260 Verdun Rd.
- CLSC Plateau-Mont-Royal - 4625 De Lorimier Ave.
- Coll?ge Reine-Marie - 9300 Saint-Michel Blvd.
- Allancroft School - 265 Allancroft Rd.
- Fr?d?rick-Banting School - 11135 Alfred Ave.
- Rivi?re-des-Prairies Hospital - 7070 Perras Blvd.
- Cavendish Mall - 5800 Cavendish Blvd.
- Th??tre du Quartier - 3990 Notre-Dame St. W
Open Nov. 6, 7, 8 only:
- CLSC Hochelaga-Maisonneuve - 4201 Ontario St.
Open Nov. 9:
- Olympic Stadium - 4545 Pierre-de-Courbertin St.
Open 7 days a week, from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., beginning Nov. 16
- Lachine General Hospital - 3320 Notre Dame St.
- Carrefour Angrignon - 7077 Newman Blvd.
- Patro Le Pr?vost Community Centre - 7355 Christophe-Colomb Ave.
- St-Laurent Leisure Centre - 1375 Grenet St.
- Southwest Physergo medical clinic - 5260 Verdun Rd.
- CLSC Plateau-Mont-Royal - 4625 De Lorimier Ave.
- Edouard-Rivet Recreation Centre - 11111 Notre-Dame St. E
- Coll?ge Reine-Marie - 9300 Saint-Michel Blvd.
- Allancroft School - 265 Allancroft Rd.
- Fr?d?rick-Banting School - 11135 Alfred Ave.
- Spring Garden Elementary School - 175 Sonata Ave.
- Rivi?re-des-Prairies Hospital - 7070 Perras Blvd.
- Cavendish Mall - 5800 Cavendish Blvd.
- Palais des congr?s - 1001 Place Jean-Paul-Riopelle
- Olympic Stadium - 4545 Pierre-de-Coubertin St.
- Th??tre du Quartier - 3990 Notre-Dame St. W
Open Saturdays and Sundays only, beginning Nov. 21
- Coll?ge Mont-Saint-Louis - 1700 Henri-Bourassa Blvd. E
Laval plans
In Laval, people can get vaccinated at the following location:
- 2228 des Laurentides Blvd. (Old Canadian Tire)
Opening hours are as follows:
Monday, Tuesday, Thursday Saturday & Sunday: 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. (CLOSED ON WEDNESDAY)
Dates are as follows:
Nov. 5-10 & Nov. 12-14 :
- People under 65 suffering from a chronic illness
- People in contact with children under 6 months
- Pregnant women
Nov. 15-17 & Nov. 19-21
- Children from 6 months to 9 years, and their immediate families
- People in contact with those who are immune deficient
Nov. 22-24 & Nov. 26-28
- Youths aged 10-18 and their guardians
- People aged 65 or older
Nov. 29-30, Dec. 1 & Dec. 3-5
- Open to all

http://montreal.ctv.ca/servlet/an/local/CTVNews/20091030/mtl_flu_091030/20091030?hub=MontrealHome

 

[Pathfinder]

Re: Quebec - Novel H1N1 Vaccine Availability

<TABLE width=1 align=left><TBODY><TR><TD align=middle><SMALL><IMG style="BORDER-TOP-WIDTH: 0px; BORDER-LEFT-WIDTH: 0px; BORDER-BOTTOM-WIDTH: 0px; WIDTH: 150px; BORDER-RIGHT-WIDTH: 0px" alt="Quebecers have had to wait up to eight hours to get the H1N1 vaccine at the Longueuil arena on Montreal's South Shore.


<i>(CBC)</i>" onerror="document.getElementById('feedsimgdiv').style.display='none'" src="http://images.sympatico.ca/images/Feeds/cbcLocalNews/mtl-swine-1103.jpg"> Quebecers have had to wait up to eight hours to get the H1N1 vaccine at the Longueuil arena on Montreal's South Shore.
(CBC) </SMALL>


</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
Quebecers camp out to get H1N1 shot
03/11/2009 9:22:09 AM
CBC News

The lineup started before dawn on Tuesday at a Longueuil arena on Montreal's South Shore, where dozens of Quebecers camped out - some with their children in tow - to get the swine flu vaccine.

It's the second day a pre-dawn queue formed at the makeshift clinic, where the wait on Monday was as long as eight hours, despite diligent work by health professionals administering H1N1 influenza vaccines non-stop.

Complaints about Quebec's mass vaccination program against the swine flu continue to swell as Montreal falls behind other cities in terms of getting people inoculated.

In some parts of the province, the inoculation campaign has progressed to at-risk people including pregnant women, young children and the chronically ill.

But Montreal is a bit behind schedule, Quebec Health Minister Yves Bolduc said in an interview with CBC Radio's Daybreak on Tuesday morning.

Bolduc said he understands peoples' concerns but cautioned that panic is not the answer.

The best strategy to protect public health is to follow the priority list for vaccination, he said.

"For the moment, the experts suggest who needs the vaccine sooner," he said in a telephone interview.

"We have to respect that if we want to save more lives. Everyone wants to be vaccinated sooner, but we don't have a choice at this moment."

Bolduc, who got his shot last week, said his wife and teenaged son have yet to be vaccinated, so he understands parents' concerns about their own children.

Bolduc's office confirmed that Quebec still hasn't administered all the doses it has received since the launch of the federal inoculation campaign.

In an emergency House of Commons session Monday night, Federal Health Minister Leona Aglukkaq insisted there is no shortage of the vaccine and every Canadian who wants the shot will get it by Christmas.

Federal opposition parties criticized the Conservative minority government for how it has handled the H1N1 risk.

GlaxoSmithKline, the Quebec-based manufacturer of the vaccine, was forced to slow down production last week to increase the number of doses with an adjuvant - an immune booster - in order to accommodate demand for pregnant women.

http://news.sympatico.cbc.ca/Local/...line=True&subtitle=&detect=&abc=abc&date=True

 

[Pathfinder]

Re: Quebec - Novel H1N1 Vaccine Availability

Local swine flu vaccination centre opens Friday

Article online since November 3rd 2009, 13:24

Local swine flu vaccination centre opens Friday

For Westmounters worried by recent media reports about rapidly spreading cases of swine flu, Sant? Montr?al announced this week that an additional vaccination centre against the H1N1 flu virus will be open in Alexis Nihon Plaza, 1500 Atwater Ave., beginning tomorrow, Nov. 6, from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily.

It should be noted that the first period of vaccination is intended for parents of infants up to six months of age, for persons with a weakened immune system who are able to receive the vaccine, and for the family members of individuals whose immune system is weakened and cannot receive the vaccine.

http://www.westmountexaminer.com/article-396712-Local-swine-flu-vaccination-centre-opens-Friday.html

 

[Pathfinder]

Re: Quebec - Novel H1N1 Vaccine Availability

Coupons will cut wait for vaccine: minister
Montreal officials speed up vaccination schedule

Last Updated: Tuesday, November 3, 2009
CBC News

Quebec Health Minister Yves Bolduc says a new coupon system will be put in place to help prevent the lengthy lineups at H1N1 vaccination clinics in some parts of the province.

The province has faced criticism for its vaccination plan as thousands of people, including those at high risk of contracting swine flu, have been forced to wait hours in cold temperatures.

Bolduc said the coupons will provide patients with an appointment for their vaccination and would be available in the Mont?r?gie region and Quebec City, starting Wednesday.

The coupons will be available in Montreal starting Thursday, Bolduc said.

The system has been in place in the Gatineau region since Friday and has been successful in eliminating lineups, Bolduc said.

Asked whether he was concerned the coupons could spark a black market for vaccination appointments, the minister said officials were doing the best they could.

"We have to do something for the lineup," Bolduc said. "We think this is the best system, even if it is not the perfect system."

The province's director of public health, Dr. Alain Poirier, dismissed accusations the system has been disorganized.

He said the distribution of vaccines has been going smoothly in some regions, while in others the demand has been higher than expected.

There were also some logistical delays that prevented some regions from starting their vaccination campaigns on time, Poirier said.

Everyone who wants the vaccine should be able to get it before Christmas, Poirier said.

The number of cases of the H1N1 virus in Quebec is on the rise but the flu has not become more virulent, said Poirier. In the previous 24 hours, he said, there were six cases of the illness that had required hospital treatement.

Montreal to accelerate vaccination

In Montreal, officials at the regional health agency said they would hold a news conference Thursday to announce changes to the vaccination schedule in the region.

In response to concerns about the delay in the vaccination of at-risk people in Montreal, Bolduc said he has asked regional health officials to speed up the process.

"If some people are more anxious to get the vaccine, I think our job is to relieve this anxiety and get the vaccine to these people as soon as possible," Bolduc said.

While some regions have already begun vaccinating parents with children younger than six months old, people with suppressed immune systems and families with members who have suppressed immune systems but cannot get the vaccine, Montreal is still focused on vaccinating health-care workers and patients in hospitals.

Officials in the region do not expect to start vaccinating other at-risk people until Friday.

The lineup started before dawn on Tuesday at a Longueuil arena on Montreal's South Shore, where dozens of Quebecers camped out - some with children in tow - to get the swine flu vaccine.

It was the second day a predawn queue formed at the makeshift clinic, where the wait on Monday was as long as eight hours, despite health professionals administering vaccines non-stop.

In an interview with CBC Radio's Daybreak on Tuesday morning Bolduc, who got his shot last week, said his wife and teenage son have yet to be vaccinated, so he understands parents' concerns about their children.

Bolduc's office confirmed that Quebec still hasn't administered all the doses it has received since the launch of the federal inoculation campaign.

Health Minister Yves Bolduc says he has asked officials in Montreal to accelerate their vaccination plan. (CBC)

'If some people are more anxious to get the vaccine, I think our job is to relieve this anxiety and get the vaccine to these people as soon as possible.'?Quebec Health Minister Yves Bolduc



http://www.cbc.ca/canada/montreal/story/2009/11/03/quebec-flu-vaccination-campaign.html

 

[Pathfinder]

Re: Quebec - Novel H1N1 Vaccine Availability

Montreal accelerates H1N1 vaccinations

Last Updated: Wednesday, November 4, 2009 | 4:01 PM ET

CBC News

Officials in Montreal say they will start vaccinating children six months to five years old on Thursday. (CBC)


Health officials in Montreal say they will speed up plans to vaccinate some at-risk members of the population against the H1N1 virus.

The move comes after Health Minister Yves Bolduc expressed frustration with delays in vaccinating some at-risk people in the region.

While some members of at-risk groups have been able to get the vaccine for nearly one week in other regions of the province, officials in Montreal had been focused on doling out the vaccine to health-care workers, first responders and seriously ill patients.



But starting Thursday, officials said they will begin vaccinating:

• Children between the ages of six months and five years old.
• The parents and siblings of babies under six months old.
• Pregnant women at least 20 weeks into their pregnancy (adjuvant vaccine only).
• Pregnant women with a chronic illness(adjuvant vaccine only).

Montreal?s director of public health, Dr. Richard Lessard, said the decision was made because children and pregnant women seem to be at higher risk for the flu.

Officials said the non-adjuvanted vaccine is not yet available in the province.

An adjuvant is a substance added to a vaccine to stimulate a stronger immune response. National guidelines recommend that pregnant women get the adjuvant-free version of the H1N1 vaccine because there has not been extensive research done on the use of adjuvants during pregnancy.


<TABLE class=full><TBODY><TR><TD>Revised Montreal vaccination schedule

Starting Nov. 5:

• Children six months to five years old.
• Parents and siblings of babies under six months old.
• Pregnant women at least 20 weeks into their pregnancy (adjuvant vaccine only).
• Pregnant women with a chronic illness (adjuvant vaccine only).

Starting Nov. 9

• Other pregnant women.

Starting Nov. 16

• People under the age of 18 with chronic illnesses.

Starting Nov. 23

• People over the age of 18 with chronic illnesses.

Starting Dec. 7

• Healthly people five and older.

</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
One-third of flu cases requiring hospitalization have been children under the age of five, said Lessard.

According to a World Health Organization report, women in the third trimester of their pregnancy are at a 10 times higher risk of requiring hospitalization, Lessard said.

Officials had also hoped to start vaccinating the parents and siblings of preschoolers and of people with suppressed immune systems, but will have to hold off for now, said Montreal Health Agency president David Levine.

"The reason they will not be vaccinated in this first ... [group] is because of the limited number of vaccines. We want to ensure we cover this population at risk," Levine said.

Officials said 10 H1N1 vaccination centres will open Thursday morning.

Another four will open later this week.

The vaccination centers will be open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. seven days a week, officials said.

The centers will operate using the new system of coupons announced Tuesday in order to avoid long lines.

Patients arriving will be given a coupon indicating when they can return for their vaccination.


Coupon system in place

Some areas of Montreal?s south shore were using the new coupon system for the first time Wednesday morning.

People started queuing outside Samuel de Champlain School in Longueuil at 4:30 a.m. in order to get vaccinated.

Despite the early hour, France Richer welcomed the new plan.

"There?s nobody showing up here with kids. As an adult, you can wait but you don?t make kids wait in line," said Richer.

Meanwhile, Bolduc said the province is taking steps to correct an error he said resulted in some healthy prisoners receiving the H1N1 vaccine ahead of the general population.

The situation at the Salaberry-de-Valleyfield detention centre made headlines Wednesday.

Bolduc, who called the situation "unacceptable," said local health officials seem to have misinterpreted government directives.

He said prisoners in other detention centres would wait their turn.


http://www.cbc.ca/canada/montreal/story/2009/11/04/mtl-h1h1-vaccination-accelerated.html?ref=rss

 

[Pathfinder]

Re: Quebec - Novel H1N1 Vaccine Availability

Quebec's H1N1 vaccination sites, schedule

Vaccination sites by region:
Montreal

vaccination.msss.gouv.qc.ca/carte_region.php?region=06

Off-island suburbs

vaccination.msss.gouv.qc.ca/carte_region.php?region=16

Laval

vaccination.msss.gouv.qc.ca/carte_region.php?region=13

Mass vaccination schedules
Nov. 5 start:

- Family members of children under 6 months; children age 6 months to 5 years
- Women more than 20 weeks pregnant
- Pregnant women with a chronic medical condition
- People whose immune systems are compromised, but not their immediate families

Nov. 9 start:
- Women less than 20 weeks pregnant

Nov. 16 start:
- Children age 18 and under with a chronic illness

Nov. 23 start:
- Adults age 18 to 65 with a chronic illness

Dec. 7 start:
- Healthy adults and children older than 5
For information online:

pandemiequebec.gouv.qc.ca/en/index.aspx@sujet=143.html

For information by phone: 514-644-4545 or 1-877-4545



http://www.montrealgazette.com/health/Quebec+H1N1+vaccination+sites+schedule/2183036/story.html

 

[Pathfinder]

Re: Quebec - Novel H1N1 Vaccine Availability

Montrealers face long lines for H1N1 vaccine

Last Updated: Friday, November 6, 2009 | 1:49 PM ET

CBC News

Dozens of people lined up at a Montreal West Island school on Friday morning to get their H1N1 vaccine shot, as some 14 inoculation clinics across the region opened for their first official day of business.

The makeshift clinic at Allancroft School in Beaconsfield ran out of vaccination coupons at 10:30 a.m. on Friday because of the high demand, said CBC reporter Melissa Kent from the scene.

Organizers said they underestimated the time it takes to vaccinate children, and only managed to inoculate about 1,300 Thursday night.

Those who weren't seen Thursday night returned Friday morning for priority shots. Other people showed up at the school as early as 5:30 a.m. to get their coupon.

Authorities running the clinic said people should come back next week because if they don't have a coupon by now, they won't get the vaccine on Friday.

The Allancroft school site is the only vaccination clinic on the West Island.

Proof of identity, illness needed for vaccine

Quebec health minister Yves Bolduc warned the province may run out of the vaccine because of a delivery shortfall.

Public health officials are also adhering to strict rules to make sure priority groups are inoculated first.

People will have to show documentation to prove they fall into one of the priority groups, either a birth certificate or a prescription, for people with suppressed immune systems.

In Montreal, only immuno-suppressed people, parents and siblings of babies under six months and pregnant women qualify for the vaccine in this round of inoculation. Grandparents and other caregivers are not included in that group.

"We don't have enough vaccine," said Dr. Richard Lessard, head of

Montreal's public health department. "And there's so many people who take care of children who could show up in the vaccination centre and say 'I take care of this child.'"

"We wouldn't have enough vaccine, and if we start doing it for certain people, we will certainly lack the number of vaccines that we need to do the children."

Only women who are pregnant at more than 20 weeks' gestation will not have to provide any documentation, because their physical appearance will be enough proof, said the Montreal public health agency.

Quebec is very close to distributing an adjuvant-free vaccine for pregnant women concerned about the additive, the province's public health agency said, stressing that the regular shot is safe.

The province may eventually may expand the list of priority groups to speed up the process. "We may form sub-categories based on geography or neighbourhood risk" said Alain Poirier, agency director.

Province defends priority shots for pharmaceutical employees

GlaxoSmithKline's decision to vaccinate its own employees won't affect the province's mass vaccination campaign, Poirier assured.

The Quebec-based pharmaceutical company set up vaccination clinics at its production facility in Quebec City this week for company employees and their families.

Poirier said there isn't any issue with GlaxoSmithKline workers taking priority, because they are "critical workers," but he disagreed with their families jumping the queue.

He said the general vaccination campaign won't be affected by the private clinics in any way, because GlaxoSmithKline's supply of the drug is being provided through the federal government's allotment of the vaccine, and not Quebec's supply.

Three Quebecers have died from complications caused by swine flu infections ? two in Gatineau and one in Chateauguay, southwest of Montreal.

Doctors continue to criticize Quebec's vaccination campaign, saying it's too little, too late.

With hundreds of cases being diagnosed every day across the province, the campaign is progressing far too slowly to have a significant impact on any outbreaks, said Dr. Karl Weiss, a microbiologist at the Maisonneuve-Rosemont hospital in Montreal.

Quebec should have chosen to deliver the vaccine through medical clinics and doctors' offices, instead of setting up temporary shot sites, he said.

http://www.cbc.ca/canada/montreal/story/2009/11/06/quebec-h1n1-vaccine-campaign.html

 

[Pathfinder]

Re: Quebec - Novel H1N1 Vaccine Availability

Vaccination sites by region
Montreal
vaccination.msss.gouv.qc.ca/carte_region.php?region=06
Off-island suburbs
vaccination.msss.gouv.qc.ca/carte_region.php?region=16
Laval
vaccination.msss.gouv.qc.ca/carte_region.php?region=13
Mass vaccination schedules

Nov. 5 start:
- Family members of children under 6 months; children age 6 months to 5 years
- Women more than 20 weeks pregnant
- Pregnant women with a chronic medical condition
- People whose immune systems are compromised, but not their immediate families

Nov. 9 start:
- Women less than 20 weeks pregnant

Nov. 16 start:
- Children age 18 and under with a chronic illness

Nov. 23 start:
- Adults age 18 to 65 with a chronic illness

Dec. 7 start:
- Healthy adults and children older than 5

For information online: pandemiequebec.gouv.qc.ca/en/index.aspx@sujet=143.html
For information by phone: 514-644-4545 or 1-877-4545

<IFRAME marginWidth=0 marginHeight=0 src="http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UTF8&hl=en&msa=0&msid=111494974109745028057.000477b5cfcf86dd7fe42&ll=45.470725,-73.670197&spn=0.723247,1.152191&output=embed" frameBorder=0 width=425 scrolling=no height=350></IFRAME>
<SMALL>View Vaccination clinics, Montreal, Laval and off-island suburbs in a larger map</SMALL>
<SMALL></SMALL>
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<SMALL>http://www.working.com/health/swine-flu/Quebec+H1N1+vaccination+sites+schedule/2183036/story.html</SMALL>

 

[Pathfinder]

Re: Quebec - Novel H1N1 Vaccine Availability

H1N1: Jewish General vaccinated top 200 donors


'It has nothing to do with the fact that they gave money,' hospital spokesperson says

By Aaron Derfel, Gazette Health ReporterNovember 7, 2009

MONTREAL ? As thousands of Montreal adults wait anxiously to get their H1N1 flu shots next month, the top 200 donors of the Jewish General Hospital have already been inoculated, The Gazette has learned.
Hospital officials, however, denied that there?s a link between making a financial donation and getting fast-tracked for the flu shots. Rather, the 200 donors are all volunteers at the Jewish General in some capacity, said spokesperson Karen Ohayon.

?It has nothing to do with the fact that they gave money,? she said.

?There?s absolutely no link.?

Last month, the Quebec government announced that health-care workers ? including doctors, nurses and other staff who are in close contact with patients ? would be the first to be vaccinated against the pandemic H1N1 strain.

However, the Jewish General has decided that in addition to health professionals, donors who sit on various boards would also be vaccinated.

?Most of the people that donate to the hospital in one way or another volunteer at the hospital, because they are all part of boards and are involved in the hospital,? Ohayon explained.

?They are inside the hospital, they give their time. They are inside meetings. They are part of the hospital in a way, because they are always here.?

Asked whether a donor-
volunteer of the Jewish General foundation is in close contact with patients, Ohayon responded:

?Yes, because there is contact. I work for the PR department, which is next to the entrance, and I?m in the hospital almost all day and I was vaccinated. We?re exposed to the virus.?

However, a physician who works at a Montreal hospital accused the Jewish General of applying a double standard to favour ?elite donors.?

?That?s disgusting,? said the doctor, who spoke on condition that her name not be used. ?Where are the priorities in our society? Are sports figures and elite donors a priority??

The physician was alluding to a report this week that a British Columbia doctor had vaccinated 22 pro hockey players. B.C.?s health officer responded immediately, saying the shortage of vaccine means that athletes should not have jumped the queue.

Marie-?ve B?dard, press attach? to Quebec Health Minister Yves Bolduc, said board members of hospitals and donors are not entitled to vaccines ahead of the rest of the population.

?There has been a gap in communication because this morning we learned that certain (hospital) boards of directors were vaccinated, which the minister considers unacceptable,? B?dard said.

?Whether they are donors or volunteers, unless they give care directly to patients they should not have been vaccinated? as part of the first-priority group.

?Perhaps some institutions have taken their own initiatives, but they were never authorized by the Health Department,? B?dard added.

The Montreal hospital physician was also upset by the government policy of vaccinating health-care workers last week, but not their children.

?We find it despicable that the Health Ministry did not vaccinate health-care workers? children in the hospital,? she said. ?Instead, we now have to take a full day off of work to get our children vaccinated.?
http://www.montrealgazette.com/health/H1N1+Jewish+General+vaccinated+donors/2194569/story.html