Although two health units in eastern Ontario are reporting the second wave of swine flu is on the wane, that's not the case in Ottawa.
Health officials in Hastings and Prince Edward Counties, as well as Leeds, Grenville and Lanark, said Thursday that visits to the emergency room and school absenteeism are starting to return to normal levels, which indicates H1N1 cases are likely decreasing.
"This outbreak actually peaked seven to 10 days ago," said Dr. Richard Schabas, medical officer of health in Hastings and Prince Edward Counties.
"We've been watching the number come down for a few days now."
He added that other parts of the province will likely see similar indications in the coming weeks. However, health officials cautioned although swine flu is starting to wane, serious illness and deaths linked to the virus are still expected.
Ottawa still in second wave
While the situation seems to be getting under control in parts of eastern Ontario, health officials in Ottawa say the capital is still experiencing a high number of cases.
Ottawa reported its sixth swine flu-related death on Wednesday. Fifty-nine Ottawa residents have been admitted to hospital since the beginning of September.
Vaccine supply running out
Meantime, residents across the province are continuing to stand in line to get vaccinated for swine flu.
Ottawa's chief medical officer of health says the city might be forced to temporarily close its flu clinics if it doesn't receive a new shipment of the H1N1 vaccine soon.
Dr. Isra Levy predicts the city only has enough vaccine for the next few days.
"We have roughly three days supply left depending on how quickly we use it and how much we get from our providers and what we're waiting for is clarification on how much and when we'll get the next shipment," Levy told reporters on Thursday.
Ontario is expected to receive another 189,000 individual doses of the H1N1 vaccine next week. However, there's no word on when Ottawa will receive its next shipment.
Although there's concern about supply levels of the regular H1N1 vaccine, Ottawa will open a special flu clinic for expectant mothers at the Ottawa Hospital's Riverside Campus on Saturday.
