Clinics cancelled due to national shortage of H1N1
Emilie, 14 months, gets the H1N1 jab at the Ashcroft flu clinic last week while her dad holds her. Hundreds of residents stood in line for hours to get their flu shots. Most were happier about it than Emilie.
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Local residents who couldn’t make it to Ashcroft’s flu clinic last week will have a much longer wait as all H1N1 and seasonal flu combined clinics have been cancelled until further notice.
Combined clinics opened across Interior Health last week, said communications officer Leannea Parfitt, and about 50 were held including ones in Ashcroft, Clinton and Spences Bridge.
But the health authority received much less vaccine than expected and has had to cancel all of its clinics, offering only four this week in the IH region. The closest clinic was Lillooet and was held Nov. 9.
The manufacturer, giant drug company GlaxoSmithKline, was unable to produce as much vaccine as they thought they could, said Parfitt.
Doses of the flu vaccines may be available from family physicians for their high risk patients.
Parfit said the IH are planning clinics one week in advance now to make sure they have enough vaccine to accommodate all who come.
The shortage of H1N1 vaccine is affecting all of Canada and has resulted in a reduction in the number of Public Health mass clinics that will be held for the week of Nov. 9.
The H1N1 vaccine shipment expected for this week will be significantly smaller than what has been received in the past two weeks.
The dates, times and locations for future clinics are still being worked out, and, when available, will be posted on our website at www.interiorhealth.ca.
For the week November 9-14, people in the highest risk category, living in communities where there will not be a mass clinic, should be directed to check with their family physician or walk-in clinics to see if they have some remaining vaccine available.
If significant vaccine re-supply does recommence by mid-November, then mass immunization clinics will be re-established across IH. If vaccine supply is adequate and if indicated by BC’s Provincial Health Officer, these clinics would be available for all the general public to be immunized, not simply high-risk individuals.
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