Pandemic: Thirty-eight flu sufferers have received care

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Adam Huras
Telegraph-Journal

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The H1N1 flu pandemic is forcing the hospitalization of a steadily growing number of New Brunswickers, says the province's chief medical officer of health.

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Tammy Scott-Wallace/Telegraph-Journal

People line up for H1N1 influenza vaccinations in Sussex earlier this week. Thirty-eight New Brunswickers have now been hospitalized with the virus, says New Brunswick’s chief medical officer of health.

Fifteen people have been hospitalized in the past two days - 33 this week - bringing New Brunswick's total to 38 since the second wave of the pandemic hit the province this fall, Dr. Eilish Cleary said Friday.

The province is continuing to see widespread H1N1 activity that will continue to worsen in the coming weeks, she said.

The chief medical officer said priority groups will continue to be the main focus of the vaccination campaign next week when New Brunswick will receive a shipment of 40,000 doses of the H1N1 vaccine.

"It's still less than we were hoping for, but it's better than what we got this week," Cleary said. "So the regional health authorities have that number this morning, and they will be working hard on their plans to deliver that vaccine."

Cleary said that by the weekend, 140,000 New Brunswickers will have been vaccinated - 24,000 of them health-care providers.

All First Nations communities and all pregnant women are expected to have received the vaccine by the end of next week.

"On the next go around, we really will be focusing on vaccines for those who are less than 65 with chronic diseases," Cleary said.

The chief medical officer said that a large number of the chronically ill were reached this week using medical specialists. She said that will continue next week with the health authorities looking into more ways to target that group.

Cleary also addressed concerns as to when essential service workers - such as firefighters and police - would receive vaccinations, saying they will be next in line after the priority groups.

"The priorities have been given to those individuals who are at personal high risk of complications of severe outcome and not based on risk of exposure," she said. "We believe everybody has equal risk of exposure because this is a disease that has transmitted through the community."

Don McCabe, deputy chief of operations with the Moncton Fire Department, said there have been concerns about why essential service workers have not been given priority status.

But he added that first responders understand the importance of not jumping the queue.

McCabe said emergency teams will continue to respond to all emergency situations whether or not victims have the H1N1 virus. He said safety measures have been implemented such as masks and goggles for responders.

"I think we are concerned throughout the province "¦ but there are target groups and we recognize there is a shortage," McCabe said.

"I don't think any firefighter would want to step in front of target groups."