H1N1 vaccinations could take until 2010: Liberals

OTTAWA — The federal government was criticized Monday for the rollout of the H1N1 vaccine by the Liberals who said it could be 2010 by the time all Canadians who want the shot can get it.

After a week-long break from the House of Commons, Health Minister Leona Aglukkaq returned to Parliament Hill to face a renewed attack from the Liberals on how the Conservative government has handled the country's largest mass vaccination program.

Liberal health critic Carolyn Bennett led off question period by suggesting Aglukkaq has misled Canadians in telling them the timeline for the vaccination campaign. Aglukkaq has said in the House of Commons and in news conferences that the government's goal is to have the program complete by Christmas but last week in a news briefing she also said the vaccination campaign is estimated to take eight to 12 weeks. Most clinics began operating on Oct. 26 and if it is used as the starting date, eight weeks from then is mid-December, but 12 is well into January.

"We have said all along that we would try and complete the vaccination program by December. In fact, we were early in the rollout of our campaign across the country," Aglukkaq said in response to Bennett's accusation. "I want to acknowledge all the hard work of the front-line people who are doing a fantastic job in getting the immunizations out to Canadians. By the end of this week, we will have over 10.4 million vaccines in provinces and territories."

The government has ordered 50.4 million doses of vaccine from GlaxoSmithKline. Doses are being shipped to the provinces and territories every week, as they come off the production line, and local health units are responsible for administering the vaccination programs.

The opposition parties have been blasting the government for weeks over the vaccine rollout and its timeline and other aspects of the pandemic response.

They are also calling on the federal government to provide more funds to help local public-health units hire more staff to deliver the H1N1 vaccine.

Aglukkaq answered that call Monday by saying this year's federal budget gave the provinces and territories $24 billion to provide health care and that the government invested $1 billion to develop the national pandemic plan.

The health minister also rebuffed a call for the federal government to fund the translation of H1N1-related materials into languages other than French and English. At a news conference earlier in the day, and in question period, Bennett said local health units have been spending their "very scarce" resources on translating messages for ethnic communities.

"It is the job of the federal government to co-ordinate this and to make sure that there isn't any Canadian that does not understand the importance of the vaccine, the priority lists," said Bennett. "This is seriously a call for leadership from this federal government in understanding the makeup of this country."

The Public Health Agency of Canada's website on the H1N1 pandemic includes information in French, English, Inuktitut and a few other aboriginal languages and Aglukkaq said the provinces and territories, and their local health units, are communicating well with the people they serve.

"If you did your research you will see the provinces and territories are doing a great job in getting the message out," said Aglukkaq who cited Ontario as an example. The province has materials translated in about 19 languages.

According to the 2006 census, 98 per cent of Canada's population can speak one or both official languages.

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The Liberals suggested Monday during Question Period that it may be 2010 before all Canadians receive the H1N1 vaccine shot. Yet Health Minister Leona Aglukkaq once again said that this was not the case, and that the government's goal was to have the mass vaccination program complete by Christmas. The federal government has ordered 50.4 million doses of the vaccine from GlaxoSmithKline, with new shipments coming in each week to the provinces and territories.

- The Liberals also criticized the federal government Monday for not paying to get swine flu materials translated into other languages besides French and English. Liberal health critic Carolyn Bennett said the government should help cover the costs to have the information in the 60 or 70 languages needed across Canada. The Toronto MP said local public health units are spending their scarce resources on translating materials into various languages that are spoken in their communities while that should be a responsibility of the federal government.

- Ottawa will reopen its H1N1 vaccine clinics Wednesday in anticipation of receiving new shipments from the province. The clinics were closed last week following a shortage of the vaccines.

- An investigation has been launched after two nurses in Quebec took doses of the H1N1 vaccine home to give to family members. The North Shore health agency said the information came to light Friday and the investigation would in part serve to determine whether other nurses there were responsible for similar actions. Quebec Health Minister Yves Bolduc said the situation was "unacceptable and regrettable."

- Starting Tuesday, all Albertans over the age of 75 along with their spouses will be able to receive the H1N1 shot. Albertans over the age of 65 will be able to get the vaccine starting Thursday. Other high-risk groups will still be eligible for the shot if they have not received it. These groups include children older than six months and younger than five years; pregnant women; people between the ages of five and 64 who are chronically ill; caregivers and parents of babies and others who can't be immunized; first responders such as firefighters, police and peace officers; and front-line health-care workers.