billybob2006
11-05-2009, 01:39 PM
By CBC News, cbc.ca, Updated: November 4, 2009 8:53 PM
B.C. team jumps swine flu queue
B.C. team jumps swine flu queue
Health officials in B.C. are investigating how members of a minor league professional hockey team managed to jump the queue and get swine flu shots ahead of people listed as a priority for the vaccine.
The controversy emerged as an Alberta health official was fired Wednesday for arranging for members of the NHL's Calgary Flames to get shots.
B.C.'s medical health officer, Dr. Perry Kendall, said he'll be speaking to a doctor who flouted guidelines by giving the vaccine to players for the Abbotsford Heat, an American Hockey League farm club of the Calgary Flames.
"There has been no authorization given by me or any of B.C.'s medical officers or health authorities for any professional sports team to receive early access to H1N1 vaccine. And we don't plan to be giving priority access to professional sports teams or to amateur sports teams either," said Kendall.
The H1N1 vaccine is currently being offered in B.C. only to people under 65 with a chronic condition, children between six months and five years, pregnant women and some health-care workers, he said.
A senior Alberta Health Services employee has been fired over the Calgary Flames players being given swine flu shots last week while thousands of people waited in line for the vaccine or were turned away.
The Heat's media spokesperson defended the team doctor's action.
"It's up to the club physician to make that determination," said David Sheldon. "As far as high-risk assessment is concerned, he felt it was in his best interest to tell us it was in our best interest [to get the shots]."
Team doctor Adriaan Windt declined to comment to CBC News on Wednesday.
and By CBC News, cbc.ca, Updated: November 5, 2009 2:40 PM
Minister slams H1N1 shots for Leafs, Raptors
Minister slams H1N1 shots for Leafs, Raptors
Ontario Health Minister Deb Matthews said it is "entirely unacceptable" that some team members and staff of the Toronto Maple Leafs and the Toronto Raptors received H1N1 shots at a time when the province faces a shortage of the vaccine.
Maple Leaf and Sports Entertainment, which owns both teams, said in a statement Wednesday that "certain players and staff" on the teams had received the shot, and denied its staff and players jumped the vaccination line.
Matthews said Thursday she is looking closely into why players and staff for the Raptors and the Leafs got the shots.
"I want you to know that this is entirely, entirely unacceptable," she said at Queen's Park on Thursday. "We are relying on our professionals to respect the priority list."
Issues with the manufacturer have led to a shortage of the vaccine, so Ontario has decreed only priority groups — those who are at a higher risk of developing complications from the virus than the general public — are currently eligible to receive shots.
In the 10 days since the vaccine was first doled out, many people have had to contend with hours-long lineups.
"Similar to other physician offices, any vaccine supplies received were obtained through normal distribution and no preferential treatment was requested nor received," MLSE said in a statement.
MLSE would not say who got the shots and how, saying that information is "considered private and confidential."
It is also unclear if any of those vaccinated were members of the priority groups, or if they received the shots while travelling in the United States.
Matthews has conceded that hundreds, perhaps thousands of doses of the H1N1 shots had been shipped to private clinics in the province — doses that now cannot be tracked.
The MLSE controversy comes after a Alberta Health Services staff member was fired for approving vaccinations for some Calgary Flames players and their families last week at a time that many people in priority groups endured long lineups.
On Saturday, one day after the Flames were vaccinated, the province abruptly suspended its clinics because of a vaccine shortage.
B.C. team jumps swine flu queue
B.C. team jumps swine flu queue
Health officials in B.C. are investigating how members of a minor league professional hockey team managed to jump the queue and get swine flu shots ahead of people listed as a priority for the vaccine.
The controversy emerged as an Alberta health official was fired Wednesday for arranging for members of the NHL's Calgary Flames to get shots.
B.C.'s medical health officer, Dr. Perry Kendall, said he'll be speaking to a doctor who flouted guidelines by giving the vaccine to players for the Abbotsford Heat, an American Hockey League farm club of the Calgary Flames.
"There has been no authorization given by me or any of B.C.'s medical officers or health authorities for any professional sports team to receive early access to H1N1 vaccine. And we don't plan to be giving priority access to professional sports teams or to amateur sports teams either," said Kendall.
The H1N1 vaccine is currently being offered in B.C. only to people under 65 with a chronic condition, children between six months and five years, pregnant women and some health-care workers, he said.
A senior Alberta Health Services employee has been fired over the Calgary Flames players being given swine flu shots last week while thousands of people waited in line for the vaccine or were turned away.
The Heat's media spokesperson defended the team doctor's action.
"It's up to the club physician to make that determination," said David Sheldon. "As far as high-risk assessment is concerned, he felt it was in his best interest to tell us it was in our best interest [to get the shots]."
Team doctor Adriaan Windt declined to comment to CBC News on Wednesday.
and By CBC News, cbc.ca, Updated: November 5, 2009 2:40 PM
Minister slams H1N1 shots for Leafs, Raptors
Minister slams H1N1 shots for Leafs, Raptors
Ontario Health Minister Deb Matthews said it is "entirely unacceptable" that some team members and staff of the Toronto Maple Leafs and the Toronto Raptors received H1N1 shots at a time when the province faces a shortage of the vaccine.
Maple Leaf and Sports Entertainment, which owns both teams, said in a statement Wednesday that "certain players and staff" on the teams had received the shot, and denied its staff and players jumped the vaccination line.
Matthews said Thursday she is looking closely into why players and staff for the Raptors and the Leafs got the shots.
"I want you to know that this is entirely, entirely unacceptable," she said at Queen's Park on Thursday. "We are relying on our professionals to respect the priority list."
Issues with the manufacturer have led to a shortage of the vaccine, so Ontario has decreed only priority groups — those who are at a higher risk of developing complications from the virus than the general public — are currently eligible to receive shots.
In the 10 days since the vaccine was first doled out, many people have had to contend with hours-long lineups.
"Similar to other physician offices, any vaccine supplies received were obtained through normal distribution and no preferential treatment was requested nor received," MLSE said in a statement.
MLSE would not say who got the shots and how, saying that information is "considered private and confidential."
It is also unclear if any of those vaccinated were members of the priority groups, or if they received the shots while travelling in the United States.
Matthews has conceded that hundreds, perhaps thousands of doses of the H1N1 shots had been shipped to private clinics in the province — doses that now cannot be tracked.
The MLSE controversy comes after a Alberta Health Services staff member was fired for approving vaccinations for some Calgary Flames players and their families last week at a time that many people in priority groups endured long lineups.
On Saturday, one day after the Flames were vaccinated, the province abruptly suspended its clinics because of a vaccine shortage.