H1N1 flu shot clinic scheduled for Amherstburg Nov. 17
Over 200 cases of H1N1 virus confirmed in Windsor-Essex County
Posted By Ron Giofu/The Amherstburg Echo
Posted 21 days ago
AMHERSTBURG — The Windsor-Essex County Health Unit will be holding an H1N1 flu shot clinic in Amherstburg Tuesday, November 17.
The clinic is scheduled to be at the Knights of Columbus Hall on Richmond St. and last from 2-8 p.m. While clinics being held in Windsor have had more of a focus on "high risk" groups, that may not necessarily be the case come next Tuesday.
Dr. Allen Heimann, medical officer of health, said that he could not predict whether or not the high-risk groups will take priority when the Amherstburg clinic is held or whether the priority groups will be broadened. Heimann recommended viewing the Health Unit's website for updates.
The Health Unit says immunization efforts are currently focused exclusively on the people most vulnerable to serious outcomes from this flu and those around them. The priority groups are defined as people under 65 with chronic medical conditions, pregnant women, healthy children from six months to five-years-old, people residing in remote and isolated settings and communities, health care workers involved in pandemic response or the delivery of essential health care services and household contacts and care providers of persons at high risk who cannot be immunized or may not respond to vaccines.
Heimann told the Echo last Friday that wait times at Windsor clinics are reduced from when clinics first began. He added that approximately 150 area physicians are distributing the vaccine to their high-risk patients with the vaccine being sent to the physicians as quickly as possible.
"We are certainly getting more cases of influenza in Windsor-Essex," said Heimann. He estimated there are over 200 cases of H1N1 in the area between those cases that are confirmed and the cases of influenza A which he said likely will be confirmed as the H1N1 virus.
Heimann said the flu is milder this year but notes that what is unique this year is that roughly 70 percent of cases are hitting people under the age of 30. While noting there are severe cases that as of last Friday resulted in 37 deaths in Ontario, the vast majority locally are mild and patients will recover. In a regular year, a flu virus would have a greater impact on the 65-and-over age group.
"It's certainly a different flu," said Heimann.
Those currently in a high-risk category can attend a clinic outside of Amherstburg. Local residents who miss the Amherstburg clinic and who fall between the priority guidelines sought by the Health Unit can visit any of the other clinics in the area. The 2009 H1N1 flu clinic schedule, along with a vaccine information fact sheet, are available online at www.wechealthunit.org.
