Western Health will begin the distribution of the H1N1 vaccine in the Western region on Monday, October 26, 2009. The first group to receive the vaccine will be health and community services workers.
The vaccine will be available in the western region to priority groups beginning the week of November 2, 2009. A schedule outlining the specific dates, times and locations of mass immunization clinics in our region will be announced early next week.
“It is important that people understand they will need to attend an immunization clinic in their area to be vaccinated for H1N1,” said Dr. Greg Mercer, Regional Medical Officer of Health for Western Health. “We would strongly encourage everyone to be watching for information on when and where they can be vaccinated and take up this opportunity to receive the vaccine.”
The vaccine will not be available through physician offices. School aged children will be vaccinated through their schools by public health nurses. As the vaccination program expands throughout the region in the coming weeks, residents can expect to see detailed clinic information through their local media and the Western Health website (
www.westernhealth.nl.ca).
Based on recommendations from the Public Health Agency of Canada, the vaccine will be offered first to people who will benefit most from it. These groups include:
· Individuals under 65 with chronic health conditions;
· Individuals living in remote and isolated settings or communities;
· Children six months up to five years of age;
· Health care workers involved in pandemic response or the delivery of essential health care services;
· Pregnant women; and
· Household contacts and caregivers of persons at high risk who cannot be immunized or may not respond to vaccines and populations otherwise identified as high risk.
The H1N1 vaccine in Canada is an adjuvanted vaccine which means it includes a substance which provides a more rapid and increased immune response to the vaccine. While pregnant women are included in the list of priority groups for the H1N1 vaccine, they will receive a special version of the vaccine that is unadjuvanted. The supply of unadjuvanted vaccines will be available in early November.
The H1N1 vaccination is not mandatory but is recommended for all residents of the province. The H1N1 vaccine is free to all residents of the western region.
For more information, please see the news release distributed by the
Department of Health and Community Services.
-30-
For more information,
Please contact:
Heidi Staeben-Simmons
Director of Communications,
Western Health 709-637-5252
