Minister and chief doctor defend government action on H1N1
The Canadian Press
Both the federal health minister and Canada’s chief public health officer are on the defensive over government action in combating the H1N1 flu.
Facing growing public anger over the rollout of flu vaccine, Health Minister Leona Aglukkaq said the immunization campaign was planned for early November but ministry staff worked around the clock to get authorization almost two weeks early.
Aglukkaq said they could have made a choice to distribute the vaccine in December when everything was ready, but instead decided to dole out the vaccine to those who most needed it.
Both politicians and the public are venting as thousands line up for hours at clinics that are already running short on supplies, but Dr. David Butler-Jones brushed off the criticism.
The federal public health officer said the reality is that just a week into the campaign 10 to 20 per cent of the people in many communities have been vaccinated — more than any other country in the world.
Butler-Jones also assured Canadians that while vaccine supplier GlaxoSmithKline has exported bulk doses of the vaccine out of the country, it won’t impact how long they wait to be immunized.
“There has been bulk vaccine that we’re not able to actually fill here so that has been exported,” he said. “But all of the vaccine that we can fill in Canada has stayed and will stay in Canada until our immunization is complete.”
Aglukkaq also disputed a federal auditor general’s report critical of the federal pandemic response, saying a plan was created in 2006 after the SARS outbreak.
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Is it just me? from PEI writes: Is it just me that is confused and doesn't understand this report?
I find the Federal Minister's and Canada’s chief public health officer's statements very confusing!
(Butler-Jones assured Canadians that while vaccine supplier GlaxoSmithKline has exported bulk doses of the vaccine out of the country, it won’t impact how long they wait to be immunized.)
Who's THEY?
(“There has been bulk vaccine that we’re not able to actually fill here so that has been exported,” he said.)
What does this statement mean exactly in PLAIN ENGLISH? Not Able to Fill Here??? What's does Fill actually refer to?? If we received an order of Vaccine does that not constitute the order was Filled?
(“But all of the vaccine that we can fill in Canada has stayed and will stay in Canada until our immunization is complete.”)
Can Fill? Will Stay in Canada? Could the chief public health officer translate these statements so that I could actually understand them?
And in my opinion, I feel Chretien's decision to give all Contracts to GlaxoSmithKline Vaccine Producer has put all our eggs in one Basket and has contributed to the Vaccine Delays!
How could having One Company produce Vaccine for a Pandemic be more productive than having two Companies?? And I use the word Pandemic lightly, as I'm not convinced we have a Pandemic! However, I am convinced we have Mass Confusion!
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Garth Staples from PE writes: How could anyone convince MP Wayne Easter?
He see a bogeyman under every stone, real or imagined.
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Thomas Paine from Stratford, PEI writes: I wonder if people would take the time to check on the accuracy of their posting before they start making unfounded accusations. The Federal Health guy explained quite succintly why the Drug Company was exporting surplus vaccine to other countries. The reason was that the number of vials/bottles that they were acquiring would only equal the number of shots that had been ordered. Think about it 50.000.000. small bottles in their cartons.
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Garth Staples from PE writes: From the Globe and Mail:
Dr. Bennett should know better. Prime Minister Stephen Harper's team was incredulous yesterday and pushed back as Liberal health critic Carolyn Bennett questioned the government’s contract with H1N1 vaccine supplier GlaxoSmithKline. “The role of pandemic planning is backup, backup, backup,” she charged in the House of Commons. “The U.S. government ordered vaccine from five companies. … Why did the Conservative government … limit Canada to just one supplier?”
Why? Well, it turns out that the contract was signed by the Liberals in 2001 for 10 years. PMO spokesman Andrew MacDougall says Dr. Bennett should be well aware of that as she was part of the Chrétien government at the time.
CTV's Graham Richardson reported last night that the original contract, awarded by the Chrétien government is worth more than $323 million. He said that the usual practice is to split a contract of that size to avoid delays and problems with supply.
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Fed Up to me teeth from pei writes: No matter how hard they try, there is no credible defense for the complete farce that the so called roll out program has become.
Is anyone surprised that a cozy deal was signed by thed government of the day giving Glaxo Kline sole manufacturing rights for the nation's vaccine? Maybe not. Politics, graft, kickbacks are everyday occurrences.
The point is though that the government of this day has done nothing to correct the completely unacceptable situation of the Canadian public being at the mercy of a pharmaceutical monopoly. They sat back, did nothing, did not plan for a massive nationwide program, and continue to parade Mr Mustachio in front of the public to issue press releases that are all talk, no substance.
The governments, both the previous Liberal one and now the current Tory one have failed the public miserably.
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To Garth from PEI writes: Hey Garth, Wayne is the bogeyman!!
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Souja from PEI writes: Chretien's decision to give all Contracts to GlaxoSmithKline - HOW MUCH OF OUR MONEY HAS CHRETIEN HIS 'appointed' Fderal Health Minister David Dingwall and their Unelected Associates invested GlaxoSmithKline ?
USE YOUR FRIG'IN HEADS. THINK!
THINK OUTSIDE THE BOX- in Chretien's decision to give ALL vaccine Contracts TO GlaxoSmithKline.
SURLEY YOU CAN'T BELIEVE That when WE Vote these Corrupt-Crooked Blastard Criminal Politicians OUT Of Office that simply go away, immediatly terminate their corruption within Our Governments . OR WHAT'S SUPPOSE TO BE OUR-THE PEOPLE'S GOVERNMNTS.
The Day Brian Mulroney was 'arranged' to be Voted In, out of organize crime Nova Scotia was the worst day in Canada's modrn history. The Day, private investors & corporations took ownership of what WAS Our governments.
Just the sight of Mulroney's Face (Brian or Ben) and Chretien's Face makes me want to Puke. It's my opinion THEY ARE Organized Crime Corrupt and could care less for The Everyday Canadian. May They Rot In He!!.
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glen armstrong from summerside, PE writes: Garth Staples may have a point about Dr Bennett, but she is not part of the article. Nor is Wayne Easter, but the blinkered Mr Staples will take pot-shots at any Liberal who breathes. Too bad the bias makes him so predictable.
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Jim McDonald from Charlottetown, P.E.I. writes: Garth Staples is such a Conservative supporter he will back the PC government no matter how they mess up. Staples is like any good pawn of the government and no matter what they say or do they are always right in his mind. He probably thinks the H1N1 is a Liberal concocted disease designed to make the Tories look bad - as if they needed help.
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John Barron from Charlottetown, P.E.I. writes: Didn't Staples write a book on his family history or something a while ago and now he thinks people care about what he says.
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The Lobster from Charlottetown, P.E.I. writes: That figures. He probably thinks because of the book where he tried to link his family to deep Irish history he has something to say. All he ever was and still is, is a Tory hack and will say anything to defend the party. Sad.
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