Comments on The Burd Report: Sometimes you have to be hit between the eyes with...

The Toronto Star had an editorial a couple of days...

2009-11-07T15:36:54.319-05:00

The Toronto Star had an editorial a couple of days ago in favour of in school vaccination clinics in Ontario.

The article also noted that in Peterborough, our local Health Unit partners are hoping to hold school clinics starting next week. They expect it will take 3 weeks to get the kids done, starting the minute the province sends them the vaccine.

Couldn't our health unit people do some of that famous liasising and find out how to do it here too?

Just asking....

The upcoming BC by-election may test the political...

2009-11-07T14:37:00.994-05:00

The upcoming BC by-election may test the political potency of the H1N1 problem, in particular, and healthcare, in general. Here's a story reporting that the Conservative candidate, Diana Dilworth, "expressed her willingness to allow more private medical care as an option for health reform."

Interesting (and sosmething I didn't realize) ...

2009-11-04T12:47:16.783-05:00

Interesting (and sosmething I didn't realize) that the initial decision NOT to use schools was made by the province and not by the local health unit--or so it appears, judging from the story in The Star.

William, I can't speak for Ben, but if I had t...

2009-11-03T13:44:33.163-05:00

William, I can't speak for Ben, but if I had that kind of power over the Province and the media, we would all be living in Camelot, "where the rain may never fall til after sundown and by morning the fog must disappear".

And I, of course, would be happily married to an alive and well Richard Burton, whose poignant singing of "How to Handle a Woman" brings chills.

A good response, indeed. The article Flu shot overhaul in works in today's Star begins with this statement:

"The province is looking to set up vaccination clinics in schools and workplaces...."

Is someone at Queen's Park reading Ben's blog? Did Deb do some arm twisting? Is this manna from heaven?

You go, William. Hope you get a good response.

2009-11-03T10:43:49.374-05:00

You go, William. Hope you get a good response.

Your question/comment is a good one, Deb. How goo...

2009-11-02T16:46:12.000-05:00

Your question/comment is a good one, Deb. How good? So good that I forwarded it to the HKPR Health Unit via email, suggesting that they either respond to me or by posting a response on The Burd Report itself.

I sent Ben a copy of my message to the Health Unit--don't know your email address, Deb. I hope that we hear something of interest from them.

Further to my earlier comment that our Health Unit...

2009-10-30T16:21:46.307-04:00

Further to my earlier comment that our Health Unit should be holding immunization clinics in the schools, I just read in the London Free Press that all schools in Lambton County near Sarnia will hold these clinics, courtesy of their health department.

So why can't the Haliburton Karwartha Pine Ridge Health Unit do the same here? It would make a great deal of sense to get our kids innoculated while they are gathered in the same place anyway.

While the parents have to sign a consent form, surely the program would be a cost effective way to protect our children.

It would be a better use of Health Unit time than going after tanning salons, that's for sure.

Dr. Noseworthy, the head of the HKPR Health Unit, ...

2009-10-29T16:40:31.200-04:00

Dr. Noseworthy, the head of the HKPR Health Unit, has already explained the following:

1) Doses of H1N1 vaccine are distributed to provincial health authorities as they are released by the manufacturer--GlaxoSmithKline.

2) Doses of the H1N1 vaccine are distributed to local Health Units throughout Ontario based on demographic data (how many infants, elderly, etc.) using a risk classification established by the province.

So, it wasn't possible for the local Health Unit to rollout the vaccine earlier because there wasn't any vaccine to roll out. And it doesn't make sense to pursue an alternate scheme for administering the vaccine in the absence of good reasons to do so.

I think that Dr. N. and her staff are doing a good job in a difficult situation. If you don't, why not pass on to her your thoughts and whatever relevant information that you have.

----

The point of my "shuffle of to Buffalo" remark was this:

.. In Canada, we ration scarce medical resources by medical need --doctors and the like are the gatekeepers.

.. In the US, they ration scarce medical resources by ability to pay--Walgreen's checkout clerks are the gatekeepers.

----

If you think that you pay enough for health care, think again: the our local hospital has just established a citizen review panel, which will, before the end of this year, be advising the hospital board what services to cut to balance the budget, which has been in deficit for three consecutive years. We have been getting more than we are paying.

William: I don't believe that we should trust...

2009-10-29T10:27:37.063-04:00

William:

I don't believe that we should trust the public health policy experts, if they were correct then the vaccine would have been rolled out sooner (as in 'Buffalo') and possibly two families would not be mourning the loss of their healthy children.

Had the vaccine been distributed earlier then there would be no need to have it distributed more quickly at this point in time. As the schedule states now on the HKPR website they are still going to only be vaccinating only 'at risk' people in Cobourg into the end of November.

I am really concerned, but why should anyone have to 'shuffle off to Buffalo' when we pay alot of tax dollars into our health system.

Hopefully someone is working on getting the vaccine into our school systems and getting our children vaccinated.

I will get the H1N1 flu shot. I will get the regul...

2009-10-29T08:58:03.472-04:00

I will get the H1N1 flu shot. I will get the regular seasonal flu shot, too, a little later on. All members of my family will as well -- various generations, 18 month olds, their cousins, their parents, their uncles and aunts, those people's spouses, the little ones' grandparents, etc.

We always do and have been doing so for well over 15 years now.

I have no training as a medical professional and claim no definitive knowledge that one way is better than the other.

Purely anecdotal evidence in the ranks of our family says that over all these years, most times others around us at work or at school get the flu we either do not get it at all or, if we do get it, we suffer much lighter symptoms for a much shorter period of time than others report. They say they were down for 3 - 5 days but we were hit hard for less than 24 hours, etc.

I understand the reluctance some people have because they want an absolutely clear answer beforehand that getting vaccinated is the best thing to do for themselves and the members of their families. Unfortunately, such decisions are rarely straightforward and uncomplicated but usually end up being more a balance of probabilities.

Best luck to all in making the best decisions for themselves as indivduals.

Anon! S/he's irked about the rollout for the ...

2009-10-28T15:48:13.369-04:00

Anon! S/he's irked about the rollout for the H1N1 vaccine and asks, "Does that make any sense at all?"

Well, we don't know that the current plan makes sense, but why shouldn't we believe that public health policy experts know more than we do about this stuff?

The motto Plan your work; then work your plan allows work to proceed in the foreground and revisions to be considered in the background.

Indeed, Anon's suggestion that the "at risk" classification be revised may be under consideration as we write. However, her suggestion that the vaccine be distributed "more quickly" sounds like little more than, "We want it all and we want it now!"

If you're really concerned, Anon, consider shuffling off to Buffalo. I've been told that Walgreen's (U.S. drug store chain) offers the vaccine for a mere $24.95 per dose.

I wonder what's the deal with the driver's...

2009-10-28T15:28:41.991-04:00

I wonder what's the deal with the driver's license. Proof of your address? Non drivers can usually bring a bank statement instead.

That's the list as lifted from the HKPR websit...

2009-10-28T14:54:26.130-04:00

That's the list as lifted from the HKPR website. When Colborne gets jabbed is anybody's guess

Apparently, at least according to your list, peopl...

2009-10-28T14:53:33.937-04:00

Apparently, at least according to your list, people in the Colborne area are to be sacrificed!

I just wanted to post something that really irks m...

2009-10-28T14:02:33.140-04:00

I just wanted to post something that really irks me about the H1N1 vaccinations. Yes my family and I are definately going out to get one, but when? All the dates that are posted are for people considered 'at risk'. I have a 15 year old son, he works with young children after school 3 days a week and in light of the recent 2 deaths (10 year old girl on saturday and 13 year old boy on monday)I believe the 'at risk' criteria should be changed. One of the websites that I read indicated that the average age of people contracting H1N1 is 21, yet the over 5 and under 64 classification is not 'at risk'. Does that make any sense at all? Maybe the vaccine needs to be distributed more quickly that it is being distributed and the 'at risk' classification needs to be updated to include our youth (the people that are really 'at risk).

Your post certainly got my attention today. Who k...

2009-10-28T13:32:59.114-04:00

Your post certainly got my attention today.

Who knew you were a health conscious public minded type journalist?

Excellent work; from someone with grand kids in the age range that needs the shot now.

So when will our property tax funded Health Unit be holding clinics in all our schools? Seems like the best way to jab all the students.

Comments on The Burd Report: Sometimes you have to be hit between the eyes with...

The Toronto Star had an editorial a couple of days...

The upcoming BC by-election may test the political...

Interesting (and sosmething I didn't realize) ...

William, I can't speak for Ben, but if I had t...

A good response, indeed. The article Flu shot overhaul in works in today's Star begins with this statement:"The province is looking to set up vaccination clinics in schools and workplaces...."Is someone at Queen's Park reading Ben's blog? Did Deb do some arm twisting? Is this manna from heaven?

You go, William. Hope you get a good response.

Your question/comment is a good one, Deb. How goo...

Further to my earlier comment that our Health Unit...

Dr. Noseworthy, the head of the HKPR Health Unit, ...

William: I don't believe that we should trust...

I will get the H1N1 flu shot. I will get the regul...

Anon! S/he's irked about the rollout for the ...

I wonder what's the deal with the driver's...

That's the list as lifted from the HKPR websit...

Apparently, at least according to your list, peopl...

I just wanted to post something that really irks m...

Your post certainly got my attention today. Who k...

A good response, indeed. The article Flu shot overhaul in works in today's Star begins with this statement:

"The province is looking to set up vaccination clinics in schools and workplaces...."

Is someone at Queen's Park reading Ben's blog? Did Deb do some arm twisting? Is this manna from heaven?