Anybody brave the H1N1 clinic lines yet??

[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...d.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.