Matthew Kessler, 7, manages to smile as he receives his H1N1 vaccine from public health nurse Debbie Schutte on Thursday.
Herald photo by Angela Hill
Grin and bear it Slow line slithers through South Hill for H1N1 vaccinations
ANGELA HILL The Prince Albert Daily Herald
Even with the news that thousands of new doses of H1N1 vaccine are on the way, across the province people eligible for the vaccine spent Thursday waiting in line.
Prince Albert was no different. In some cases, parents waited with children for more than three hours to receive the immunization.
Juanita McKay had been waiting more than two hours by noon on Thursday. Like many parents, McKay pulled her kids from school so her three children could be vaccinated.
"I just knew they needed to get the needle ... I'd rather they get the (vaccine) than the (flu)" she said.
"The line is moving. It's taking a while, but it's moving."
In an empty shop in the South Hill Mall, public health had taken over. Volunteers moved parents and children through the intake and eight nurses were giving immunizations at one time.
Doug Dahl, communications co-ordinator for the Prince Albert Parkland Health Region, said he saw that people were worried, but wants the public to know they won't run short of the vaccine.
If they had cut people off in the vaccine lineup Thursday night, it would be because the clinic was closing at 7 p.m.
"It's not the (lack of) vaccine, it's the time," he said.
Dahl said public health estimated they did as many as 1,500 immunizations on Thursday alone.
Currently the groups eligible to receive the vaccination are health-care workers, pregnant women, and children from six months to Grade 6 inclusive.
The Ministry of Health announced Thursday afternoon that the province was expecting 60,000 new doses to arrive on Nov. 11.
When they have distributed it to the health regions, the categories of people eligible to be immunized will be broadened to include people younger than 35 years old with underlying health risks and people of all ages who are immune-compromised.
Those who are immune-compromised are people who have had organ transplants or are on chemotherapy, for example. For people younger than 35, there is a wider definition of health risks that include diabetes and asthma.
"People who are not at risk should not come forward," said Dr. Moira McKinnon, chief medical health officer for the province.
The ministry said it hopes the vaccine will be available to be offered to all Saskatchewan residents by early December.
"The limitation is the vaccine supply, it really is," McKinnon said.
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umm from sk writes: nice try at the scare tactic! theres alot of false info out there being circulated and it makes me mad, if you do or dont want to get it fine but do your own research and let ppl decide for themselves! when you are handing out false info telling ppl what to do u are taking ppl's lives into ur hands! and 50% mercury!!! come on if u do ur research you will find out that that is way off and there is more mercury in one can of tuna then this shot! and also that the mercury in this shot isnt the same kind that causes health problems! the shot contains the same as the seasonal flu shot so if u have ever had one of those (which have been out for years) then i wouldnt be too worried, and when ppl say this flu hasnt killed as many as the seasonal flu, no it hasnt yet but it doesnt mean it wont, also the seasonal flu kills ppl like under 5 over 65 not healthy 20, 30 yr olds! thats what scary! o and squalene if you do your research is also not new , its been used in flu vaccines in europe since 1999. if you do your research you will also find out that the spanish flu of 1918 was a strain of h1n1 that at first only effected few and mildly, then a second wave hit and in the end wiped out between 50-100million people! in 1918 thats a huge percentage of ppl! imagine something like that spreading today when your closest neighbour isnt 3 miles away! the vaccinations are a way of preparing for a second wave if one comes. there are tons of theories going on out there from paranoid ppl from unsafe, to only been animal tested to company/government conspiracies to kill off the weak, well if u use common sense, y would the manufactorers want to kill off the ppl that are taking their products? that would mean all their customers die and anyone left would never buy their product and the company would fall, not a very smart business move if you ask me, but whatever. anyways make ur decision, its a hard one, i sat on the fence for a long time but after tons of research, talking to pharmacists, doctors, nurses (and many not just one), a infectious disease control specialist, public health and a microbiologist i have decided that the pros far outweigh the cons and that im not going to worry about 10 yrs from now only now, i take a pill everyday for a condition that can have long term side effects but if i stop taking it i could die in as little as 6 months...i'd rather live for another 10yrs then another 6 months, anyways thats my opinion, make ur choice and be able to deal with whatever consequences come with that decision but at least you know it was ur decision and you didnt let someone else make the wrong choice for you
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Not so Sure from Prince Albert, Sask writes: Why is it fear mongering to post someone elses view point isn't that whats being done by the pharmaceutical companies. They promote a drug that may have possible harmful side effects then look for legal exemption so they aren't held liable for any deaths caused by the drug and we're not supposed to ask any questions. If the government approves it, it must be okay. Give your head a shake! Even if the percentages are'nt totally acurate doesn't it make you think just a little bit what you are putting into your body may be more harmful to you than the H1N1 virus.
Just something to think about.
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Cheryl from Prince Albert, SK writes: Not so Sure, the problem that I can see with that viewpoint is that it's umpteenth hand off the Internet. He 'said' it was from a pharmacist in Australia, but there was no corroborating evidence.
If you're unsure about whether or not you should get a shot, ask your doctor. Some advocate getting the shot, some don't. But at least then, you can have all your questions answered (hopefully) honestly. If you're still in doubt, check out the medical websites, the reliable ones, not just 'Dr. Joe says'. Try for some Canadian opinions, too.
Me? I don't plan on getting the shot, or if I do, it'll be later on in the year, once the high risk people have gotten it. I don't normally suffer from even a cold and I don't have any of the risk factors they mention, so I think I'm safe for a bit. If I get a cold or the flu, I have the luxury of being able to go lay down for a week and taking it easy for two more.
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Vaccinated from PA, SK writes: The sad thing is that all of the snake oil salesman are probably making a ton of money with their tried and true natural all herbal remedies that will surely ward off the H1N1 virus...ya right!! Be smart people - get vaccinated; or at least ask educated health officials about the risks and make an informed decision.
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