Immunization clinics to be rescheduled in wake of vaccine shortage

Posted By Rob Swystun, The Daily Graphic

Updated 22 days ago

Staff photo by Rob Swystun,,,Jared Vachon, 7, holds on tight to mom Tricia Vachon as public health nurse Sylvia Gauthier gives him the H1N1 vaccination at the Provincial Building in Portage la Prairie Tuesday.

Portage la Prairie's public H1N1 vaccination clinics have been postponed in the wake of nationwide vaccine shortages.

According to the province's latest flu bulletin, released on Oct. 30, Manitoba had been advised it would receive 15,500 doses of vaccine for this week, well below the expected 72,000 doses.

"As a result, each region will be adjusting their plans according to their population and geographic realities," the bulletin said. "Mass immunization clinics may be postponed in some regions."

That is the case with Portage, MacGregor and Gladstone, Dr. Shelley Buchan, medical officer for health for the Regional Health Authority Central Manitoba Inc., said.

"It's going to be affecting us as well," she noted.

The public clinics were set to start Nov. 9 in Portage, but that has been postponed and has not been rescheduled at this point, Buchan added.

The original plan for Central RHA was to completely blitz each community over a three-week period, the doctor said, but that was back when it was expected ample amounts of vaccine would be available.

The approach since then has changed to doling out the vaccines over a longer period of time.

Central RHA will be experimenting with a new approach this week and announcing the newly rescheduled clinics next week.

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rswystun@cpheraldleader.com

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