Flu clinics expanding

HEALTH

Posted By NICKI CRUICKSHANK

Posted 2 months ago

The wait is over for those seeking a dose of both influenza vaccines at Barrie clinics.

On Tuesday, the Simcoe Muskoka District Health Unit will give residents that chance.

"As of Dec. 1, we will be offering both the H1N1 vaccine and the seasonal flu vaccine. This is new for our clinics," said Dr. Charles Gardner, the health unit's medical officer of health.

"Our decision to offer the seasonal flu vaccine was because the Public Health Agency of Canada and the Ministry of Health and Long-term Care assured us both can be given safely together.

"We feel we have the capacity to offer both at our clinics," Gardner added. "If they request both (shots), they can receive them at the same time, but in different arms."

He said previous concerns from health agencies about giving both shots at once have been erased.

"It was a precautionary measure at the start to allow three weeks between the vaccines," he said. "Health agencies weren't certain if it was safe to give both vaccines at one time. But they have found now that it is completely safe."

But residents only have until Dec. 12 to receive both shots at the health unit clinic locations. After that, the health unit will be closing its clinics.

"We've vaccinated far more people in far less time than we ever have in a pandemic situation," Gardner said. "Vaccination response has been very good over the four-week period. But it appears the pandemic peaked the first week of November and it's been declining ever since."

Clinics will be offered four days a week -- Tuesdays to Saturdays -- instead of six, and hours will be shortened to 2 p. m. to 8 p. m. With lower numbers seen at clinics, and flu case volume lower at emergency rooms and walk-in clinics, Gardner said the health unit feels the clinics aren't needed to control the backlog.

The county's flu assessment centre is also set to close it's doors at Westminster Presbyterian Church on Steel Street in Barrie on Monday. The reasons for its closure echo those of the health unit. To date, 144,000 doses of the H1N1 vaccine have been provided to the community, and 40,000 of those came from the health unit's clinics.

"We still have 47,000 doses of the H1N1 vaccine and 14,000 doses of the seasonal vaccine," Gardner said. "So, we don't anticipate any shortage issues with either one."

Gardner said current health statistics for the province and Simcoe County suggest the worst of the pandemic has already passed. "In Ontario, the peak was at the end of October and into early November," he said. "The activity we saw in that time was 7% higher than what's normally seen at this time of year.

"The numbers at the ER, clinics and even school absences have significantly declined."

There have been an average of 81 people hospitalized in Simcoe-Muskoka for H1N1 this season, down 9% from the 90- person average seen in 2006, 2007 and 2008 due to the seasonal flu. The health unit reported three deaths from H1N1 in the area to-date, compared to the nine deaths the previous three years from the seasonal flu.

ncruickshank @ thebarrieexaminer.com