Anybody brave the H1N1 clinic lines yet??

[EllasMum]

With stories of 6 hour waits at the Calgary clinics (all 4 of 'em! Yay, Calgary! :shake:), I have opted to wait until next week to line-up for the H1N1 vax. I took the same tack with the seasonal flu shots, and waited maybe 20 minutes total, while a friend of mine who went the first week, waited almost 2 hours. Starting tomorrow, they are opening a clinic intended for pregnant women, small children (under 6?), and seniors, and any family members of those groups, to hopefully alleviate some of the crowds - not to mention the horrendously bad conditions for waiting (think no bathroom facilities, nowhere to get food/water etc). This new clinic will be at the university, where DD takes a gymnastics class, so we're going to check out the line-up after next week's class. Fingers crossed!

Anybody out there get their shot yet? How long did you have to wait?

[bubbaray]

Not yet. DD#1 and I are high risk. Our assigned health nurse (due to the girls' food allergies, we've been assigned 1 nurse to keep track of allergens and adverse reactions) was hoping to give both girls the unadjuvanted vax b/c DD#2 can't have the squalene adjuvant (is fish oil and she's anaphylactic to fish).

DH is pushing me to get the shot for DD#1 right away and not wait for the unadjuvanted version. I could get my shot right now, except I'm totally sick and really shouldn't even drive right now. Of course, DH isn't volunteering to go stand around in the rain for hours on end.

I can't even find out where our clinics are. Things are very confusing. People are lining up at health unit offices before they even announce clinics.

[MontrealMum]

We did get a large booklet from the provincial govt, which I checked out online since the English version was only available there. Followed the link to vaxes in our area and hit a dead end. But that's not too unusual w/QC govt. websites. According to all local websites (CLSC) there is none available here yet. Even though they've been talking about it on the CBC for two days now. We have a doc appt. on Thurs so will ask more then. I did hear yesterday that Canada has ordered extra non-ajuvant doses from Australia - as a priority for pregnant women. Also heard that they're expanding their age catagories of high-risk to include older kids after a child died in Ottawa? recently.

[NewfieNat]

Yes, we went yesterday. In our town just outside Calgary the waits were 3 hours. Yes, the lines in the city are often much longer, but all lines are inside. Yesterday two hours of our wait was outside. Oh it was cold! It's a toss up, more time waiting inside or less time waiting outside.

It's just not possible to vaccinate 1 million, or even half a mil if only 50% want it, in a couple of days. I do, however, have two complaints.

The first is there was no priority given to high-risk groups. My DD is on a drug that's classified as both a chemo agent and an immunosuppresent. Even a one-day head start would have cut much of that line.

The second is that many of the people in line around us were not from town and trying to escape longer waits. Yes, they have every right to do so just as we see a family doc in Calgary, BUT, the rural clinics are simply not set up to deal with those numbers of people. Here, it's only open 12 hours a week and staffed by less nurses.

Here is the link, the video is different than the article. Like I said earlier, I'm trying hard to not complain too much because it could be way, way worse.

http://calgary.ctv.ca/servlet/an/local/CTVNews/20091027/CGY_rural_clinics_091027/20091027/?hub=CalgaryHome

[mikeys_mom]

The Toronto area clinics were scheduled to open to the public next week but due to the death of a 13 year old boy from the H1N1 virus many are opening today. They are requesting that only those in the high risk groups
get the shot this week and everyone else wait until next week.

Clinic locations and times are pretty clearly listed on the websites of the city of Toronto and the surrounding municipalities. We are north of Toronto but will probably go to the city of Toronto ones because there are more of them.

I was at my family doctor for the twins 8 month appt yesterday and she told me very few doctors offices have access to the vaccine so most people will have to go to the public clinics.

She said that I need to make sure everyone in my house including my nanny get vaccinated because the twins are so young. Even though they are healthy and do not have any delays because they were preemies their immune systems could be compromised. I am not usually afraid of illness or germs but this has me a bit freaked out.

We will probably wait and see what the reports are on the wait times and either go tomorrow or wait until early next week.

[chinook]

We went yesterday - it was a 4 1/2 hour ordeal (NewfieNat I suspect we were both in Airdrie!) I thought the outlying communities would be faster but it wasn't. BRUTAL! I'm glad we got it over with, though.

[bubbaray]

Can you believe this -- OUR health authority has decided to NOT have clinics. If you are high risk, you can only get the shot via your doctor. BUT, my/the girls' doctor is in a DIFFERENT health authority and that one is mainly doing clinics, so the doc's there are running out. WTF? And, something like 50% of the population here doesn't HAVE a family doc, so they are out of luck, even if they are high risk.

This is so @#$% stupid. It really doesn't matter if the feds have enough vax for everyone if the stupid provinces can't get it together and DISTRIBUTE the stuff.

I'm so stinkin' mad.

[EllasMum]

Seems to be startlingly varying stories regarding wait times around here. I heard some coworkers saying they'd gone late afternoon yesterday, and were in and out in 10 minutes. OTOH, the news still had stories of people waiting 4-5 hours. WTF? The city did open a clinic especially for high risk groups (pregnant women, kids 6 mo-10yo, seniors, anyone who accompanies them) and apparently the wait was horrendous. Also, still no seating, and just general chaos. What a nightmare. I am waiting until next week in hopes that some of the chaos will subside.

Melissa - the situation in BC clearly sucks. So if you don't have a family doctor you can't get the shot?? Here in Alberta, they're going to authorize pharmacists to give the shot, and doctors will be able to administer it starting early November.

[MontrealMum]

This is so @#$% stupid. It really doesn't matter if the feds have enough vax for everyone if the stupid provinces can't get it together and DISTRIBUTE the stuff.

.

This is what I just don't get. I know they supposedly have shortages in the US, but I was just talking about this with MIL - who has her own beef with it - and she says there's plenty, it's just they can't get their act together with distributing it. For example, she lives in another municipality from us, and the govt. told them that they had to be able to provide inside room, all day, for 5000 people - and parking for that many cars. This is basically a downtown community. There isn't space for that many cars anywhere w/in a certain radius of Mtl. So, they won't be doing it where she lives because they're not "allowed". She, and the huge and mostly aging population that lives where she does is expected to trek halfway across the island - to a community that isn't served by the metro, and barely by buses - to get the shot. Luckily she's heard that since she volunteers at the hospital that she can get on a list there for the shot instead.

But I still don't know what the rest of us are supposed to do. There is NOTHING in terms of info. Going to the family doc tomorrow, so we'll see.

[bubbaray]

DD#1 and I are getting at our GP tomorrow.

I heard our Chief Public Health officer on the news tonight and he said that Canada will produce more vax per capital than any other country.

Totally as an aside -- this afternoon I em'd our Chief Public Health Officer with a question about which vax DD#2 should get (anaphylactic to fish) and how to get it for her. He em'd back (from a blackberry) in 5 min. I was SERIOUSLY impressed. I guess I caught him in between interviews. Anyway, he was VERY helpful. So, kudos for that.

I think the root of all the problems is the breakdown of Federal/Provincial jurisdictions. The Feds need to involk the War Measures Act or something and say here are the priority groups, here is the schedule and here are the clinic locations. Period. Same rules for everyone across the country.

[chinook]

I'm telling you here in Alberta there should be heads rolling over this debacle! I had a friend wait 6 hours on Monday,and you know how many nurses there were giving shots at that clinic? EIGHT! Eight nurses. How ridiculous is that. Yesterday we waited 4 hours and there were six nurses at that particular clinic. They say it's because of the "nursing shortage" but that's baloney. They were either too cheap or stupid to hire enough (I know lots of gals for whom an immunization job would be ideal but there was dick all for postings) and now they act like it wasn't their doing.

The bottom line is they obviously JUST DON'T CARE how long any of us stand in line, and if you ask me it will only get worse. The lines here were apparently longer today than yesterday and I'll bet it's because the cover of the paper had a picture of that boy who died in Ontario. Stories will get out about people seriously ill or dying and demand will continue for the vaccine. Really, they had MONTHS to plan for this, and this is the best they could do?

Gah. I am SO sick of mismanagement in healthcare. Sick. Of. It.







Whew.....I feel better now...guess I needed to get that off my chest :)

[chinook]

Also, Melissa, I'd triple check with the GP's office that they know you want the H1N1 because I know here in Alberta they are only available at the clinics (GPs and pharmacies don't have it yet and won't for a couple of weeks.)

I'm only saying that because a good friend of mine booked in with ther GP for her shot only to find out they thought she meant the seasonal flu shot, which they had, not the H1N1, which they didn't.

B.C. may well be better organized than Alberta, though.

[bubbaray]

Also, Melissa, I'd triple check with the GP's office that they know you want the H1N1 because I know here in Alberta they are only available at the clinics (GPs and pharmacies don't have it yet and won't for a couple of weeks.)


I have -- definitely ONLY adjuvanted H1N1 and only for confirmed high risk patients, which is why they want to do it at the docs offices (so they can check medical records for the high risk diagnosis). Then again, if I show up at a clinic with an asthma inhaler in my name, shouldn't that be enough?

[bubbaray]

Really, they had MONTHS to plan for this, and this is the best they could do?



THAT. Exactly that. Seriously. The rollout is a complete joke.

[MontrealMum]

They say it's because of the "nursing shortage" but that's baloney. They were either too cheap or stupid to hire enough (I know lots of gals for whom an immunization job would be ideal but there was dick all for postings) and now they act like it wasn't their doing.



That's just crazy. I have several friends who are retired nurses here in Quebec and they pick up extra cash for the holidays by giving flu shots every year in the fall at our regional clinics and pharmacies. I can't imagine there are that few retirees and part-timers who wouldn't jump at the chance for extra $$.

This is such a clusterf*&^!

[EllasMum]

My BFF just emailed and said they went down to one of the clinics. BFF went in to get in line while her DH parked. He had to get creative and make his own parking spot as there was NOWHERE to park. So she gets in line, and when her DH came in with their boys, the rent-a-cops at the door wouldn't let them through! He basically plowed through and joined her. The clinic was setup in such a way that all you could see was a small lineup into a closed area. They thought they'd got lucky and got in the line. After waiting for an HOUR, they got inside the closed area only to discover that the lineup snaked through the closed area 5 TIMES. They waited about another half hour, on their feet, before they left in frustration with their older DS in tears from having to stand so long. Gong. Show.

[mikeys_mom]

A few of my friends went yesterday and had 3-4 hour waits. They are expecting the clinics around here to get much busier today because of the media coverage of the 13 year old boy that died. Also, they are reporting several confirmed cases at Mount Sinai Hospital, one of the large downtown hospitals here.

It is so ridiculous that they have known about this for months and the best system they can devise is to set up 10 clinics for a city of 3 million people. If they are trying to prevent further spread why do they have people line up together for hours on end?

BIL is a urologist and told me that only family docs have access to the vaccine. He said he'd be happy to bring some home and vaccinate friends and family as would some of his co-workers but they can't because they won't distribute it to him.

DH's cousin is a family doctor and she is going to bring home vaccines for us Monday evening so that we don't have to stand in line at the clinics forever. I am so grateful to her for agreeing to do that.

[MontrealMum]

Just back from our family doc. Asked about the H1N1 as there is NO info about when, where etc. here yet, and was told that I should "listen to the CBC"...not because she was being flip, but because that's what docs themselves are being told here when they call the govt and ask. No H1N1 OR regular flu vax will be given by family docs (normal protocol, but you have to pay) OR our CLSCs (also normal flu route, but free). There will be 17 clinics set up throughout the city -but noone knows where, or when. Everyone is expected to go to those. Hopefully they are watching the disaster you guys are describing in other provinces and will be more organized about it. But why has it started out West and in ON, and not here???

My doc had hers yesterday only because she also works at a CLSC and they're allowed to order doses for their workers.

Ugh! I'm obviously going to have to pull DS out of daycare to do this, and take time off from doing my own work...it'd be nice to be able to plan that a bit. And I do not relish the four hour wait that you guys are describing with a two year old who still naps. :(

[bubbaray]

Well, I had to cancel our appt's for the vax today. I'm still sick and (1) didn't feel like driving 1+ hr in rush hour in the rain one way and (2) our nurse line said I shouldn't get it if I'm still sick (I'm still on 2 antibiotics). When I cancelled, the receptionist said they only got 60 doses and it would be all gone today.

I thought about that some more and called back and re-booked us for next Wednesday. Hopefully they will get another shipment of vax. The receptionist also thought they might have some of the unadjuvanted vax then for DD#2, though she doesn't know and also said they are getting all their info from the media too.

I just do NOT understand WTF gov't has been doing all these months. This is a complete joke. Dr's offices are not equipped to hold "clinics" or deal with mass vaccination programs.

I feel that the various levels of gov't have completely dropped the ball on this.

[chinook]

There's a letter to the editor in The Herald today from a woman who has a 27 year old previously healthy niece fighting for her life at the Foothills Hospital in ICU - she is on a ventilator AND a bypass machine. It doesn't get any sicker than that. Very very tragic.

The fifth clinic that they opened up here in Calgary was supposed to be for people in high risk groups or with little kids and it was a TOTAL cock up. Someone in the paper said there were SEVEN hour waits at that one. Then the health minister insinuates that it's people in non-high risk groups who are overloading the system by lining up for shots immediately. Well, when the average age of someone in ICU with this is in their mid-40s please tell me who ISN'T in a high risk group, really? And when you add in household contacts of those in the more typical high risk groups I'd love them to tell me who exactly should be sitting at home and waiting for them to get their act together.

This whole thing is terrible. The flu started peaking LAST week as had been predicted for ages, and they did their half-a$$ed vaccine roll out THIS week. Poor. Very poor.

[mm123]

I'm pregnant, and just got home from a 6.5 hour wait (standing outside!) at one of the TWO clinics in Toronto set up for 'high risk' people. It was an absolute nightmare, and I could go on and on about it, but I'm just too tired. At least it's DONE.

[mikeys_mom]

But why has it started out West and in ON, and not here???

I was speaking to my mother this afternoon. She is in Mtl and told me the craziest stuff about the situation there. According to her, the QC gov't has all the vaccines that the Feds distributed but are having "logistical problems" distributing them. I have no idea what that means?!?

She seemed to think it had something to do with the fact that the vaccines are "very delicate" and can't be administed by just anybody because of how they need to be stored. Umm, if that is the case, why has every other province figured it out?

She was told that the province is not going to allow Drs to administer the vax, it will only be through the CLSC's.

Also, she is a teacher and apparantly there have been 4 schools that have had H1N1 outbreaks and are closed at the moment. However, they will not tell the teachers which schools those are. Again, I don't know why it's not public knowledge anyways. Very strange.

Finally, she said that QC hospitals are not testing people for H1N1 if they are sick. They are just telling them to go home and rest. I don't know how true or widespread this is.

Talking to her, you would think she lives in a different country and not just 5 hours away from me. I miss many things about living in Mtl but this type of attitude is definately not something I miss.

[bubbaray]

I am freaking out now that I did the wrong thing cancelling our appt's today. http://www.windsorpeak.com/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=339655

:(

[MontrealMum]

Some of that is correct, and some of it isn't. They aren't testing, sure, but they aren't testing anywhere else either -are they? Only in cases of actual hospitilization. It *supposedly* went through my nephew's school and he's in ON and there was no testing there. And I doubt this flu vax is any more "fragile" than the regular old one. That just doesn't make any sense. But considering that the government's own website routes you to the main CLSC site suggesting that they will be giving shots WHEN THEY WILL NOT is not helping. Nor is not releasing any information whatsoever. My take on it? Quebec always has to be different. In this case, this is not a good thing :( Just makes for a lot of panicky, scared people.

[mikeys_mom]

And I doubt this flu vax is any more "fragile" than the regular old one. That just doesn't make any sense.

Yeah, that is what I have told my mother. Of course it has not stopped her from calling me several times concerned with our plan to have DH's cousin bring home the vax for us so we don't have to wait in line for 6 hours with 4 young children. She seems to think that his cousin who is a respected family Dr with a teaching position at U of T med school might not really know how to handle the vax and we will not be properly immunized. Ummm, I think that she *might* just be able to figure out how to keep it refrigerated until we need it.

I don't know why I bother to continue answering the phone...

[chinook]

Melissa,

Don't fret. I would imagine *if* there's a shortage the GP's offices will get what they have because they're the ones supposed to be doing high-risk folks in B.C. They'll get priority.



Apparently kids may only end up needing one shot, not two, because studies are showing they have really high rates of immunity after the 1/2 dose of the adjuvanted vaccine.

Oh, and here in Calgary ANY nurse who wants to attend a two hour info session can then go and work the immunization clinics to try and keep up with demand. They announced this today. Geniuses. Not.

[EllasMum]

Just when we Albertans figured it couldn't get any worse, it got worse. The H1N1 clinics are canceled until further notice. Yep, dunzo. The province says they need to regroup and decide how to better target the 'at-risk' groups.

Sigh. Not like they could have, oh say, done this BEFORE?? Sheesh.

[bubbaray]

Are you kidding me? Um, dudes. You had over 6m to figure this $hit out. AHHHH.

[MontrealMum]

I hesitate to post because I don't want to freak out Melissa...

Yep, Susan, just watched CTV - all clinics in Alberta are closed because they've run out. But they'll be getting more...WHEN? The station had no idea and neither did the officials they interviewed. Clinics in Winnipeg will close next week for the same reason. STILL no vax being given out to anyone not in healthcare in the metro Montreal area. But they have started in the rural areas. You'd think they might prioritize the 2nd largest city in the country due to the Metro and buses and other big-city areas of exposure - apparently not.

The only thing the rural QC clinics have learned from you guys out west is to check proof of residency. So, unlike Calgarians going to rural areas, noone from here is getting any vax in St.-Eustache.

Oh, and the doc they interviewed said that the people that should really worry are those in school or daycare situations. Nice. He also said that although the gov't is reassuring people that everyone who wants it will be vaxed by Xmas, that the flu is most prevalent in the 1st 4 weeks of its appearance. And we're in the middle of those 4 weeks now. So there's really not much point in being vaxed in, say, Dec. !?!

Soooooo not pleased here. I am going back to my carseat research. Head in sand :(

[chinook]

I'm going to attend one of the orientations tomorrow to pick up some hours in the clinics (whenever they reopen...) I'll let y'all know if I hear anything juicy.

Apparently we do have vaccine left here in Alberta, but they've closed the clinics for now to regroup and come up with a plan. Ha. These dufuses couldn't plan their way out of a wet paper bag.

[bubbaray]

DD#1 and I (both of us have asthma) got our shots this afternoon. DH (living with 2 high risk people) is going at 8am tomorrow. At our local public health unit, by appointment with our favorite public health nurse who coordinates all the girls' shots due to their various allergies.

Still trying to figure out DD#2's unadjuvanted shot. Sigh. DD#2 could have had it today (6m to 5yrs), but the whole issue of her fish allergy means that we either find her the unadjuvanted version or do a series of SIX adjuvanted shots at Children's Hospital. That is scheduled for the 26th if we can't get the unadjuvanted version by then.

[chinook]

The unadjuvanted version is supposed to be here in Alberta by Thursday (according to the Public Health nurse educator who led the orientation for flu vaxing yesterday) so here's hoping your DD gets it very soon after that too. This woman said that because the adjuvant is so "highly purified" that there is no risk in giving it to people with fish allergies and that the unadjuvanted version is for PG women ONLY. Not sure how I'd feel about that if I had a kid with anaphylaxis to fish....

Our clinics are supposed to re-open on Wednesday. They're unsure about how they'll "prove" people are high risk so they will likely re-open just for pregnant women and children. That means if you stand in line with your kids they'll get the shot and you will be denied the shot until a) they figure out how to prove diagnoses in people claiming to be high risk or b) there's enough vax around that they offer them to everyone again.

I know that there's a provincial pharmacy database, I don't know why they don't use that to "prove" people have chronic conditions. You show up in the line, provide your ID and APHN, they search you on the database to see if you have any prescriptions that would prove your chronic condition (really, there's not too many people with a chronic condition on nothing) and then you can get in the line. Obviously there are lots of people for whom there would be no question, I'm talking about all of the people that claim "asthma" etc. but look fine.

The good news here is there should be way way more nurses working at those clinics. I'd estimate there were 60 there yesterday and there are two more orientation session this week. Hopefully the line ups will be less ridiculous.

[EllasMum]

Chinook - thanks for the update. I haven't heard the news today but was wondering if they'd announce the re-openings. Sigh - I guess I will have to brave the lines twice - not pg and no chronic health conditions. I would like to get DD's shot soon, though, as there was a suspected H1N1 case in her preschool.

Off to check the news!

[MontrealMum]

We finally got our vax information - from the provincial gov't - in the mail! Clinics will start on Nov. 6th w/ immunosuppressed people and their families, and parents of children younger than 6 mos. The following Mon. I can go w/DS as it's children from 6 mos - 5 yrs and their parents. Better yet, one of the clinics is just blocks from our house (sure it'll be an outside wait though - it's tiny) and another is at a mall not far from here. :cheerleader1: Twelve clinics on the island of Montreal in total.

[EllasMum]

I took DD for her vax today, and I think Alberta Health may have FINALLY gotten things right! It was GREAT. I went downtown to the big clinic at the Stampede Grounds, and we sailed right through. No wait. I barely had time to fill out the form before they led us to a nurse! It was totally unreal. Lots of people there, but lots of nurses, too. They also had juice boxes for the kids, hot chocolate for anybody, and tvs with Treehouse playing. I was *extremely* pleased with how it all went. So, at least DD is vaxed. I don't know when they're going to open it up to the general public (yesterday they started with kids 6 mo to under 5y and today they added pg women). Might be a couple of weeks yet before I can get my vax, so I just have to be patient. I'm hoping it might work out so I can get my vax at the same time as DD gets the booster. Fingers crossed!

[NewfieNat]

The booster thing is really throwing me for a loop. I believe I heard WHO say one dose is fine but Health Canada is not ready to adpot that yet? DD and DS got their first dose 11 days ago but now only DD qualifies. I hope that going past the 3 weeks doesn't hurt DS. I can't imagine it would, but who knows.

[MontrealMum]

DS got his vaccine today, which is a bit of a relief!

First off, I will say that some things about the process have annoyed me....for instance, the pamphlet we were sent said that kids 6 mos-5 yrs AND their parents could start Mon. the 9th, when it was posted on their totally unadvertised website that in fact kids 6 mos.-5 yrs could get their vax Fri. the 6th, and parents have to wait till Dec. Also did not like the delay in getting the whole thing started.

However, the experience here in metro Montreal overall was very organized. The are doing a coupon system. You show up and they give you a piece of paper with a time written on it, and you come back at that time to get your shot. DH wandered down there this morning - it's mere blocks from our house - and found out that we really could come anytime because they weren't busy at all. We walked DS down in the BOB after he woke up from his nap, got shunted through the various stages and tables w/o waiting, and he ended up getting his shot from one of the nurses that was my recovery nurse when I gave birth! She was pretty happy to see DS and see how he's grown :) Surprisingly, he did not cry at all. There were maybe 30 kids/adults in the center, though some of those adults were just accompanying kids.

They did have a tempo (fun temporary garage structure ;) ) set up outside on the sidewalk for people to form lines as well as free coffee, but since there was no wait we went right in and upstairs.

I don't know if things were better here because they've been watching the problems in other provinces, or because the QC government is normally amazingly organized about things (their DMV is amazing to an American like me!) But things seem to be going well. I just wish DH and I didn't have to wait to early Dec. to get ours.

[Piglet]

I am jealous - it took us 2 hours at Avenida. It was well run and I even had time to go home when I realized I had forgotten DD's health care card ( to prove she was under 5... umm yeah, she is a very obvious 2 year old!). Honestly even 2 hours that sailed by was awesome! I called it "organized chaos", but what do you expect with that many little kids involved? It really was a huge relief... until we need to go back for dose #2.

[bubbaray]

I have the girls' booster appt's already, but I'm hoping that they won't need them.

We are seriously considering getting DD#2 (allergic to fish) the regular vax. Supposedly there have been no adverse reactions to the squalene in people who have fish allergy.

Seriously, I think I need therapy. I'm so freakin' stressed about this flu. One of the moms at ballet today dropped her child off for DD#1's class and told the teacher that her daughter had a fever, but she gave her Tylenol so she'd be OK. Then I looked into the class (I stay, most moms don't) and they are all holding hands.... AHHHHHH. I made DD#1 wash her hands right away when they were dismissed, but still. I just want to SCREAM.

:shake:

[chinook]

Melissa,

I asked again about fish allergies when I went to work at a clinic yesterday. I was told that allergy to fish, no matter how severe, is absolutely NOT a concern with the adjuvanted vaccine. Squalene is apparently a substance that occurs naturally in the human body as well as in sharks. People with anaphylaxis to fish are not offered the unadjuvanted vaccine here at all, it's for PG women only.

Between that and the fact that the adjuvanted produces immunity faster and more reliably, I might consider going with that if I were you.

Just my two cents, though!

This gal also said she expects the recommendations to change - that one shot will be considered aqeduate for kids. Nothing's official until you hear it from the uppity-up's, though.

Oh, and the shots that the Flames got? Two NURSES got fired for it. Oh yeah right, I'm sure it was THEIR idea.

[bubbaray]

I asked again about fish allergies when I went to work at a clinic yesterday. I was told that allergy to fish, no matter how severe, is absolutely NOT a concern with the adjuvanted vaccine. Squalene is apparently a substance that occurs naturally in the human body as well as in sharks. People with anaphylaxis to fish are not offered the unadjuvanted vaccine here at all, it's for PG women only.

THANK YOU SO MUCH!

We (mainly DH) are pretty freaked out here -- the news had a 3yo in ICU today. We are going to get the adjuvanted vax for DD#2 from whereever we can find it this week. Interestingly, it has less thimerosol, which is a plus.


Oh, and the shots that the Flames got? Two NURSES got fired for it. Oh yeah right, I'm sure it was THEIR idea.

Yeah, that makes sense. WTF??? I hope they grieve that and cause a lot of grief for the gov't.

[EllasMum]

Oh, and the shots that the Flames got? Two NURSES got fired for it. Oh yeah right, I'm sure it was THEIR idea.


WTF?? Are you serious?! I assumed it would be some bureaucrat sitting behind a desk somewhere. I am totally horrified by this. What is this province coming to?!

[Piglet]

WTF?? Are you serious?! I assumed it would be some bureaucrat sitting behind a desk somewhere. I am totally horrified by this. What is this province coming to?!

So the Flames thing... doesn't bother me one bit. I think the whole thing is simple scapegoating. The province opened the clinics for everyone. The Flames are "everyone". The Flames got the shots (but didn't stand in line or they would have caused a huge fan mess). The province realized that they didn't have enough shots for everyone and promptly closed the clinics. The media picked up on the fact that the Flames got special treatment (while the rest of us had no hope in hell of getting the shots) and the province "appeased" the angry masses by firing the people that had nothing to do with this mess, thus offloading the blame that should have been directed at the botched government vax program. Nice!

As an aside, the sports teams in Canada have always had 2 tier medicine - they have their own doctors, dentists, imaging services, sports med, physio clinics, etc. Trust me, when they need an MRI they get one lickety split (and that was before the for-pay clinics opened up). My boss has a hilarious (and scary) story about how he got major knee surgery in the back of a sports med clinic after hours, for cash, 15 years ago and the surgery was performed by the Flames knee guy. While I may not like the Flames getting access to things I don't get, the flu shot is not my biggest peeve by far!

[chinook]

I have no doubt that pro sports players get preferential treatment here. I do find the flu shot situation gross, though. That they thought it wouldn't get out, and cause a huge stink, is unbelievable. The vaccine situation had been front page news for days and days. There was a great letter to the editor last week that said thank god the flames weren't on the titanic when women and children were trying to get into the lifeboats!

And now, two nurses are out of work because of it. As far as I know it is two nurse managers and the orders to do it came from higher up (as if there was ever any doubt).

What. A. Crock.

[Piglet]

There was a great letter to the editor last week that said thank god the flames weren't on the titanic when women and children were trying to get into the lifeboats!

I actually don't see how the Flames players are to blame either - the players were given orders by someone to get the shot. Athletes are a bit like robots that way - they are told to do something and they do it. I have no doubt that the players themselves are fine upstanding folks. I found that letter to the editor pretty awful actually. It makes them seem like monsters.

[chinook]

I wouldn't say it makes them sound like monsters but I do think it makes them sound like total idiots. They're adults, I'll assume most of them are either literate or watch the news, they knew how things were going down in Calgary with the vaccine line-ups. Do you think they were told to get the shot "or else"? Doubt it. They were just acting like the entitled brats that they are, they are SO special that they can go for a shot in secret without a minute in line, WAY more special than everyone else in town.

Disgusting.

[bubbaray]

DD#2 got her shot today. DH got her the adjuvanted version at his dr's office. Nice on multiple levels. DH taking some responsibility for medical stuff (which I've bitched about frequently), nice that his dr got to see DD#2 -- we don't normally take the girls there. Nice that he actually HAD the shot to give her (mine d/n). Nice that she d/n have a reaction. SUPER nice actually.

:)

[MontrealMum]

Melissa, I'm so happy for you :cheerleader1: I know you've been super-stressed about this, so I'm really glad to hear that it's taken care of. You're vaxed too, now, right?

[bubbaray]

Oh yes, DD#1 and I got it last Monday.:thumbsup:

[chinook]

Glad to hear you've all been stabbed :)