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FLU FRUSTRATION:Another day of long line-ups and mounting frustration to get the flu shot.
October 28, 2009
. ANOTHER DAY OF LONG LINE-UPS AND MOUNTING FRUSTRATION TO GET THE FLU SHOT. ONCE AGAIN, THE CLINIC AT THE FRONTENAC MALL WAS SWAMPED WITH PEOPLE EAGER TO GET THE H1-N1 VACCINE. ((Brown)) BUT MANY PEOPLE HAD TO BETURNED AWAY. ONE OF THEM, A YOUNG GIRL WHO RECENTLY UNDERWENT HEART SURGERY.
AS NEWSWATCH'S CHRIS HARVEY REPORTS, THIS HAS RAISED QUESTIONS ABOUT WHO SHOULD GET FIRST PRIORITY.
TO SAY THE FLU CLINIC AT THE FRONTENAC MALL IS BUSY ... WOULD BE AN UNDER-STATEMENT.
FOR A SECOND STRAIGHT DAY, THE MALL WAS TRANSFORMED INTO A GIANT PUBLIC WAITING ROOM.
THEY CAME BY THE HUNDREDS ... THE LINEUP STARTED AT 5 IN THE MORNING, TO GET THE H1-N1
....THE MOST SOUGHT AFTER VACCINE IN THE COUNTRY.
WHEN THIS CLINIC OPENED AT 10 O'CLOCK, THE LINE UP WAS SO LONG THAT MANY PEOPLE GAVE UP AND WENT HOME.... INCLUDING JULIA HANDFORTH. HER INFANT DAUGHTER JASMINE WAS A PREEMIE... BORN WITH A HOLE IN HER HEART.
SHE'S AT HIGH RISK FOR THE
H1-N1 FLU.
HANDFORTH AND HER DAUGHTER ARRIVED AT THE CLINIC AT 10:45.
JULIA HANDFORTH:
"AS SOON AS I STEPPED IN THE DOOR THEY HAD THE SECURITY GUARD THERE SAYING THAT I COULD LINE UP, BUT THERE WAS NO GUARANTEE THAT I WAS GOING TO GET THE SHOT, AND IT WOULD BE A 5 TO 8 HOUR WAIT."
WHILE OTHER CITIES LIKE TORONTO ADOPTED A STRICT SCREENING PROCESS -- GIVING THE FIRST SUPPLY OF VACCINE TO HEALTH CARE WORKERS, PREGNANT WOMEN, VERY YOUNG CHILDREN, AND THOSE UNDER 65 WITH CHRONIC ILLNESS -- KINGSTON'S PUBLIC HEALTH DEPARTMENT HAS ESSENTIALLY ADOPTED A FIRST COME, FIRST SERVE APPROACH.
CHERYL VIGAR:
"UNFORTUNATELY WE DO HAVE A LOT OF PEOPLE HERE WHO DON'T FIT THAT CRITERIA.
THEY'RE BEING PATIENT, BECAUSE IF WE SOMEBODY WHO OBVIOUSLY MATCHES THAT CRITERIA, WE ARE PULLING THEM FORWARD INTO THE LINE BECAUSE WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE IMMUNIZE THE HIGHEST RISKS FIRST."
PEOPLE HERE ARE NOT SCREENED, POSSIBLY TO AVOID CAUSING AN EVEN BIGGER REVOLT IN THE MASSIVE LINES.
CHERYL VIGAR:
"SO WE'RE ENCOURAGING PEOPLE TO LISTEN TO THE PRIORITY, ALLOW THOSE PEOPLE WHO REALLY NEED TO GET THIS VACCINE FIRST, WHO ARE AT THE HIGHEST RISK OF SERIOUS COMPLICATIONS IF THEY DO GET SICK,
TO ALLOW THEM TO COME TO THE CLINICS FIRST."
IT'S LITTLE COMFORT TO JULIA HANDFORTH.
SHE'S FRUSTRATED WITH PUBLIC HEALTH FOR ENCOURAGING HIGH RISK GROUPS TO GET THE SHOT ... BUT THEN GIVING THE SHOT TO THOSE WHO ARE 'NOT' HIGH RISK.
JULIA HANDFORTH:
"FOR JUST THE CHILDREN, BECAUSE THEY HAVE A HARD TIME WAITING, THEY SHOULD HAVE A SEPARATE LINE AND AREA FOR THEM TO GET THE SHOTS."
PUBLIC HEALTH SAYS THERE WILL BE ENOUGH SUPPLIES OF THE PANDEMIC FLU VACCINE TO GIVE TO EVERYONE.... BUT NOT ALL AT ONCE.
THEY'RE URGING PATIENCE.... EVERYONE TO WAIT THEIR TURN.
AND ESPECIALLY THOSE WHO DON'T FIT INTO HIGH RISK CATEGORY.
CHRIS HARVEY, CKWS NEWSWATCH, KINGSTON.
DURING THE FIRST TWO DAYS OF CLINICS, KINGSTON PUBLIC HEALTH HAS GIVEN THE VACCINE TO ABOUT THREE-THOUSAND PEOPLE. ANOTHER CLINIC TAKES PLACE AT THE FRONTENAC MALL TOMORROW. BUT THE TIMES HAVE BEEN CHANGED... FROM 1 IN THE AFTERNOON UNTIL 7 AT NIGHT.
