Toronto doctor says he regrets urging flu shot for hospital board

Board members at Mount Sinai Hospital were offered the vaccine last Monday, the first day it became available, despite public health officials advising only those who were most vulnerable to line up for the shots.

Donald Low, chief microbiologist at the hospital, said a clinic was set up on the first floor for staff and others. There was no word of a vaccine shortage at the time.

“It happened to be the same day that there was a board meeting at the hospital. And I encouraged board members to get the shot,” Dr. Low said today. “There was no indication that there would be any shortage.”

“What seemed like a good idea at the time was a bad idea. And you got to pay the price for it.”

Full Article: here

More Toronto hospital execs given H1N1 shot

The lineup of people in Toronto who have jumped the queue for their H1N1 vaccination is longer than first thought.

Already it has been revealed that members of the board of directors at Toronto’s Mount Sinai Hospital were offered the shot last week, before it was available to people in the province’s high-risk groups.

Now CBC News has learned the board members of the University Health Network — which represents Princess Margaret, Toronto Western and Toronto General — and St. Michael’s Hospital have also had their shots.

Full Article: here

Vaccinating NHL Hockey Teams – Let’s Find a Scapegoat

As the slow, cumbersome and often incompetent roll out of the hiney (H1N1) vaccine continues, Canadians are looking for someone to get mad at.

Right on cue, the Calgary Flames have stepped into the breach. Earlier this week, the public learned that the Calgary Flames and their families had a special vaccine clinic of their own – ahead of pregnant women, young kids and people with underlying medical problems. An Alberta health official identified as “the most senior staff member involved” in the decision to allow the vaccination of members of the Flames and their families was fired.

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But please don’t blame the Flames, the Leafs or the Raptors. They didn’t jump the queue. To conclude they did so is to assume there was an orderly queue to begin with. We now know that the roll out of the vaccine—contrary to assertions by David Butler Jones, head of the Public Health Agency of Canada – has been anything but praiseworthy. It has been marked by confusion and lack of co-ordination.

Full Article: here

Panic in Ukraine over swine flu

Officials in Ukraine have closed schools for three weeks, imposed travel restrictions and are limiting public events as the country battles to stop the spread of swine flu.

More than 60 people are believed to have died of respiratory problems in the past week, and the measures are among the toughest to be implemented in Europe to tackle the virus.

Full Article: here

H1N1 Preparedness Guides are now available from the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC), and print copies have begun to arrive in the mail at residences across Canada. PHAC is also making the guide available online here.

H1N1 Flu Virus information is also being made available by province or territory via a clickable map.

H1N1 outbreak at Toronto’s Mount Sinai Hospital

Toronto Public Health confirmed today an H1N1 flu outbreak at Mount Sinai hospital.

While speaking to reporters in a conference room at Toronto Public Health’s downtown office, Dr. Barbara Yaffe, director of communicable disease control, confirmed the outbreak.

“It’s the only outbreak in a hospital that has been reported to us,” Dr. Yaffe said, without offering further details. A spokesperson for Mount Sinai could not be reached.

Full article: here.

See also:

H1N1 outbreak at Mount Sinai Hospital (Toronto Star)

H1N1 outbreak at Mount Sinai Hospital (CP24)

Infection Watch Live is hard at work in southeastern Ontario, now that we’re in the third week of this second wave of Novel H1N1 Influenza A (human swine flu).

Infonaut’s online, publicly-accessible Infection Watch Live solution, implemented for KFL&A Public Health, clearly shows widespread respiratory and gastrointestinal symptom presentation in the area.

Click the image below to see live infection data for southeastern Ontario:

N.B. health-care workers 1st to get flu shot

New Brunswick health-care workers will be the first in Canada to roll up their sleeves and get the swine flu shot starting Thursday.

The Health Department said it will begin by vaccinating those workers who will be giving the shots to everybody else. The province expects to have the vaccination program completed by December.

Full article: here.

October 18-24 is 2009’s International Infection Prevention Week (US) and National Infection Control Week (Canada).

About National Infection Control Week (Canada)

In Canada, Infection Control Week originated in 1988 to highlight infection control efforts in Canadian hospitals, long-term care facilities and in the community. It was an opportunity for infection control professionals to educate staff and the community about the importance of infection prevention and to promote the important work that was being done by infection control professionals in a visible and fun way. In 1989 the federal government proclaimed Infection Control Week as an annual event. (from CHICA-CANADA)

About International Infection Prevention Week (US)

In 1986, President Ronald Reagan proclaimed the third week in October as National Infection Control Week and called all ‘federal, state, and local government agencies, health organizations, communications, media, and people’ to take part in educational activities and programs during this designated week. (from APIC)

To mark Infection Prevention Week, APIC is hosting live webinars on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday of this week, each dedicated to a particular “theme” in infection prevention. Tuesday’s webinar will be on “Collaboration“; Wednesday is “Hand Hygiene“, with a special focus on guidelines; and Thursday is “Surgical Site Infection/ OR Safety“.

If you don’t attend the webinars, you can still check out APIC’s educational brochures and guides, such as Tips to Prevent and Fight the Flu, Clean Hands Save Lives and Infection Control in an Emergency/Disaster Situation.

Medical official urges flu vaccine for athletes

Bob McCormack, chief medical officer for Canada’s Olympic team, told reporters Tuesday that athletes should be among the first vaccinated against the H1N1 flu strain because of the communal conditions of the international games.

He said the Olympics are a breeding ground for disease as thousands of people from all over the world converge in a small, contained area for the duration of the Games.

Full Article: here.

For flu-wary Olympians, hygenic fist bump trumps high-five

The looming threat of the spread of the H1N1 flu virus will usher in a new era of etiquette among Canadian athletes at next year’s Olympics in Vancouver.

Handshakes? Out. High-fives? No way. The cheek-to-cheek kiss? Forget it.

“You’re supposed to pound fists with people now,” said Bryce Davison, who with Jessica Dubé is one of Canada’s medal hopefuls in pairs figure skating.

After a pause and a laugh, he adds: “It will be interesting.”

Full Article: here.

Google Flu Trends tool comes to Canada

Google Flu Trends, an internet search tool that tracks the spread of influenza as an early warning of outbreaks, expanded to Canada and 15 other countries on Thursday.

The company said it launched the tool in the U.S. last November after finding a close relationship between how many people searched for flu-related topics and how many people actually have flu symptoms.

Full article: here.

Scotland funds nurses returning in swine flu pandemic

Nurses and midwives returning to work in Scotland to help in any worsening of the H1N1 outbreak will have their re-registration costs paid for by the Scottish government.

The Nursing and Midwifery Council has written to former members whose registration has lapsed in the previous four years to encourage them to re-register. This would make them available to employers in the event of a surge in the pandemic.

Full article: here.