Flu Centres
Ottawa's Medical Officer of Health, Dr. Isra Levy, revealed in an email to city council, a plan to open flu centres across the city.
The centres are meant to assess and treat people suffering from flu-like systems. This will help to ease emergency room wait times, and Levy has made sure to state these are not places where vaccinations will be administered.
"They are intended as an alternative to local emergency rooms and are primarily for people who cannot access a family doctor and whose symptoms are not severe enough to require an emergency room consultation. Note that these centres are designed to provide assessment and care for ill people, not for vaccination of the well population." wrote Levy.
There is no word on when the flu centres will be up and running.
Vaccination Clinics
Levy has been under the wire lately regarding the organization of clinics.
The lines for wristbands have been long, patience has been running out, and priority policing has not been practiced.
"Everyday I am challenged by caring staff members who are saddened by this reality; I share the frustration and concern of our staff, and of the residents, who want this vaccine, will benefit from it, but who must, unfortunately, wait until supply and capacity meet demand," said Levy.
"All of my colleagues in public health across the country are facing this same issue and share this sentiment."
By Sunday night, city officials believe more than 80,000 doses of H1N1 vaccine would have been administered to Ottawa residents.
Officials noted the number of vaccinations administered in the Capital so far, matches the number of seasonal flu shots given annually.
