Ottawa says provinces to get less flu vaccine than promised

[jdobbin]

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/life/health...article1344606/

The federal government has warned the provinces they will receive less H1N1 vaccine than promised, forcing health-care clinics across the country to delay the rollout of their pandemic programs to the general public just as demand soars.

Supply is so short in Manitoba that stocks could run out by next Tuesday. British Columbia is delaying plans to provide the flu shot to everyone. And health officials at a clinic in Toronto, unable to handle the crowds, turned people away less than an hour after opening.

Utter chaos across Canada and it comes down to the Federal supply. All the backslapping just a week ago and now this.

[capricorn]

Utter chaos across Canada and it comes down to the Federal supply.

Not entirely. The delivery of vaccines is a shared responsibility with provinces and municipalities. In the first days, chaos erupted mainly because of long lineups at clinics. One factor was the laborious task of collecting and inputting info into computers where databases crashed. Also, the number of people showing up was under-estimated. Polls showed that 50% of Canadians were not interested in being vaccinated and the authorities probably took that into consideration in their planning.

All the backslapping just a week ago and now this.

And now we have Bob Rae accusing the Conservatives of being complicit in H1N1 related deaths.

Liberal MP Bob Rae asked Health Minister Leona Aglukkaq if she realized that people have died - and will die - because of delays in ordering and rolling out the vaccine.

"Does she not understand that these delays have cost, and will cost, lives?" Rae said Thursday.

---

"There are people who, unfortunately, have succumbed to the disease," he said.

"I think it's a reasonable thing to say that if they'd had the vaccine, it's quite possible their lives could have been saved."

http://www.google.com/hostednews/canadianp...Z2VkSQKzVpx59dA

I wonder if Donolo, Ignatieff's new Chief of Staff and one time Chretien Communications guru, approved of

Rae politicizing the death of Canadians. Or is Rae a maverick?

[bush_cheney2004]

Not entirely. The delivery of vaccines is a shared responsibility with provinces and municipalities. In the first days, chaos erupted mainly because of long lineups at clinics. One factor was the laborious task of collecting and inputting info into computers where databases crashed. Also, the number of people showing up was under-estimated. Polls showed that 50% of Canadians were not interested in being vaccinated and the authorities probably took that into consideration in their planning.

But the Gun Registry is just humming along!

[Smallc]

Actually, it's the fault of GSK. They're stopping production of the adjuvented vaccine in order to make more non adjuvented vaccine. There will be a short dip in supply, and then it should be OK. None of this would be a problem if non priority people would stay away like they're supposed to.

[jdobbin]

Not entirely. The delivery of vaccines is a shared responsibility with provinces and municipalities. In the first days, chaos erupted mainly because of long lineups at clinics. One factor was the laborious task of collecting and inputting info into computers where databases crashed. Also, the number of people showing up was under-estimated. Polls showed that 50% of Canadians were not interested in being vaccinated and the authorities probably took that into consideration in their planning.

I haven't let the provinces or health authorities off the hook.

However, the supply issue is a federal issue.

And now we have Bob Rae accusing the Conservatives of being complicit in H1N1 related deaths.

Canada's delay in getting vaccines is starting to result in deaths. Other countries have been faster.

I wonder if Donolo, Ignatieff's new Chief of Staff and one time Chretien Communications guru, approved of

Rae politicizing the death of Canadians. Or is Rae a maverick?

I wonder if Harper realizes that Canadian doctors are saying there will be more deaths if the vaccine is delayed because of shortages.

[ToadBrother]

I wonder if Harper realizes that Canadian doctors are saying there will be more deaths if the vaccine is delayed because of shortages.

Because, of course, Harper actually has all that much control over supply.

I don't like Harper at all, but blaming him for *temporary* shortfalls in vaccine is utterly moronic.

[jdobbin]

Actually, it's the fault of GSK. They're stopping production of the adjuvented vaccine in order to make more non adjuvented vaccine. There will be a short dip in supply, and then it should be OK. None of this would be a problem if non priority people would stay away like they're supposed to.

Not quite. The federal government promised a certain amount to be delivered and they are the ones that contracted out to the company.

There would still be shortages even if every person who was supposed to get the vaccination got their shot.

In other words, Tuesday will see many places out of vaccine and it isn't just a question of demand. It is a question of what was expected in terms of supply.

Edited October 30, 2009 by jdobbin

[jdobbin]

Because, of course, Harper actually has all that much control over supply.

I don't like Harper at all, but blaming him for *temporary* shortfalls in vaccine is utterly moronic.

The contracting out is his government's responsibility. The delay in getting the vaccine out later than other countries is also his government's responsibility.

The Feds guaranteed the supply and that is how the provinces set up their clinics.

You think the public is blaming the company entirely for the chaos, the supply problems and the growing numbers of people going to ICU?

[Smallc]

In other words, Tuesday will see many places out of vaccine and it isn't just a question of demand. It is a question of what was expected in terms of supply.

I'm pretty sure it's a question of both. There was no promise of 50M vaccines off of the bat. We're going to end up with 2/3 less next week, and we'll have to make due. If people at less risk stay away, there will be much less of a problem.

[ToadBrother]

The contracting out is his government's responsibility. The delay in getting the vaccine out later than other countries is also his government's responsibility.

The Feds guaranteed the supply and that is how the provinces set up their clinics.

You think the public is blaming the company entirely for the chaos, the supply problems and the growing numbers of people going to ICU?

Everyone knew that if whole bunches of people ran to these clinics there would be supply problems, and they knew those problems were unavoidable if every suddenly mass panicked. Over a longer period of time there is enough vaccine, but because the supply of this is so close to the distribution, there isn't any way that anyone could prevent fluctuations.

Blaming Harper is just plain partisanship, and some of the dumbest I've ever seen. Next week I'm expecting Harper to be blamed for sun spots.

Edited October 30, 2009 by ToadBrother

[jdobbin]

I'm pretty sure it's a question of both. There was no promise of 50M vaccines off of the bat. We're going to end up with 2/3 less next week, and we'll have to make due. If people at less risk stay away, there will be much less of a problem.

If people do stay away and only high risk people are vaccinated, they still run out. They would have run out anyways if only high risk people had been vaccinated.

The issue of supply was guaranteed no less than a week ago. The clinics are not doing more vaccines than what they allotted for based on the supply that was promised. If they had known about the shortages last week, we would have seen a very different type of vaccination than we have thus far.

[jdobbin]

Blaming Harper is just plain partisanship, and some of the dumbest I've ever seen. Next week I'm expecting Harper to be blamed for sun spots.

Harper promised just last week that supply would not be a problem. If the provinces knew that there would be a shortage from what was promised, they would have changed the process of screening for who got vaccinated.

Afraid that isn't partisanship but the plain truth. The provinces set up clinics based on the numbers of vaccinations they expected to get every week. They would have been much more restrictive had they known about shortages a week ago.

[ToadBrother]

Harper promised just last week that supply would not be a problem. If the provinces knew that there would be a shortage from what was promised, they would have changed the process of screening for who got vaccinated.

Afraid that isn't partisanship but the plain truth. The provinces set up clinics based on the numbers of vaccinations they expected to get every week. They would have been much more restrictive had they known about shortages a week ago.

Your second paragraph demonstrates the falseness of the first. No one expected the line ups that have occurred. It's not Harper's fault, it's actually a lot of Canadians' fault.

[jdobbin]

Your second paragraph demonstrates the falseness of the first. No one expected the line ups that have occurred. It's not Harper's fault, it's actually a lot of Canadians' fault.

That's not true.

They have been talking about it all summer about the fear of shortages. It is why they believed it was important to let people know about the steady supply and guarantee the provinces they would meet it.

It is why Obama is also facing the test right now. The promise was that the Feds were going to get on this and not let chaos reign. So far, they have failed.

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/29/us/polit...hortage.html?hp

The moment a novel strain of swine flu emerged in Mexico last spring, President Obama instructed his top advisers that his administration would not be caught flat-footed in the event of a deadly pandemic. Now, despite months of planning and preparation, a vaccine shortage is threatening to undermine public confidence in government, creating a very public test of Mr. Obama’s competence.

Edited October 30, 2009 by jdobbin

[bush_cheney2004]

....It is why Obama is also facing the test right now. The promise was that the Feds were going to get on this and not let chaos reign. So far, they have failed.

Oh Christ....that didn't take long. Now Obama is involved!

[Smallc]

They have been talking about it all summer about the fear of shortages. It is why they believed it was important to let people know about the steady supply and guarantee the provinces they would meet it.

I'm still unclear as to why you're blaming the federal government for this. They don't run GSK. You want to pin this on the Conservatives, but I don't see how that can be done.

The reality is that we have more vaccine already than anyone else as a percentage of the population and we will have more vaccine than needed for the entire Canadian population. Yes, we have some issues now, but they aren't coming from the federal government.

[jdobbin]

I'm still unclear as to why you're blaming the federal government for this. They don't run GSK. You want to pin this on the Conservatives, but I don't see how that can be done.

The company is switching to the new vaccine because that is what the government wants and thereby limits its supply that is promised. Are you saying they made the decision on their own?

The government ordered the change one week after they guaranteed supplies. Or have you not read the Canadian Press report?

The reality is that we have more vaccine already than anyone else as a percentage of the population and we will have more vaccine than needed for the entire Canadian population. Yes, we have some issues now, but they aren't coming from the federal government.

They are the lead government on this and they were the ones that guaranteed supply just last week. I don't know how you think they won't be accountable for things. It is what happened in 1976 and the 2004 in the U.S. I can't imagine it will be any different in Canada.

The buck stops somewhere and you are blaming the company. Well, the company is following instructions from Ottawa.

Edited October 30, 2009 by jdobbin

[Smallc]

So you don't think pregnant women under 20 weeks should be able to get vaccinated, is that what you're saying? The federal government asked for something, and it seems that GSK can't deliver.

[jdobbin]

So you don't think pregnant women under 20 weeks should be able to get vaccinated, is that what you're saying? The federal government asked for something, and it seems that GSK can't deliver.

I am saying they could have been vaccinated with the present vaccine just as Europeans were with no problem.

Now, the WHO has confirmed that Canada has made the wrong decision.

[capricorn]

The federal government asked for something, and it seems that GSK can't deliver.

That appears to be the case.

The federal government said it was informed by Canada's H1N1 vaccine manufacturer, GlaxoSmithKline, that vaccine supply will be lower next week because its facility only has one production line for two types of vaccine.

Glaxo first produced batches of vaccine with an adjuvant--an additive that boosts the immune system --and by the end of the day today six million doses will have been shipped to the provinces and territories.

Glaxo temporarily switched its production line to manufacture 1.8 million doses without the adjuvant, the vaccine that is preferred for pregnant women. It has now switched back to making the adjuvanted vaccine but, because of the interruption, there is a reduced number of doses for next week.

"It is important to also note that every batch of vaccine is quality tested before it is shipped to the provinces and territories. This also affects the amount of vaccine delivered each week," said a statement from Health Minister Leona Aglukkaq.

"GSK assures us that they will be back up to providing the provinces and territories with millions of doses the following week."

The minister said the goal is to have Canadians who want the shot immunized by Christmas and that "we remain on track to meet this goal."

http://www.calgaryherald.com/health/H1N1+v...1628/story.html

The cause of the slowdown relates to production problems at the GlaxoSmithKline Inc. plant in Sainte-Foy, Que., where the vaccine is manufactured, according to Ontario officials.

Production lines at the facility were recently switched to manufacture an unadjuvanted version of the vaccine suitable for pregnant women. Roughly 1.8 million doses of that vaccine was manufactured. They were subsequently reconfigured to manufacture the more common version of the vaccine, which includes the “adjuvant” booster chemical that lets the manufacturer get more doses out of the available raw materials.

“And based on that switch and switching back, it required they ramp up their production again,” said King.

http://www.ottawacitizen.com/health/Vaccin...0383/story.html

[GostHacked]

Oh Christ....that didn't take long. Now Obama is involved!

You know I am reminded of one rapper with some shiney teeth and a big freakin clock around his neck. He was screamin something like 'Don't .. don't don't .. don't beleive the hype'.

jdobbin

Now, the WHO has confirmed that Canada has made the wrong decision.

WHO cares? Sorry .

[Oleg Bach]

Firstly the UN has no authorship over me or any other Canadian citizen - Secondly WHO - is not God nor do they have authority over me or any other Canadian citizen. Why do we respect these orgainizations and people that have no loyalty to their own nations of origin? These are just a bunch of steak and shrimp chewing doinks who love their postions too much and take themselves too seriously.

Ottawa grant contracts to companies that were their friends - not to the most adequate provider of vacine - Their friend must have been on the lower end of the food chain in the big pharma scheme of things...they could not fulfill the order - heads should roll...

[jdobbin]

That appears to be the case.

Think I made my point that the vaccine would not have been delayed if the government hadn't ordered a change after promising a guaranteed supply to the provinces.

This blaming the company for following government instructions is passing the buck.

[jdobbin]

You know I am reminded of one rapper with some shiney teeth and a big freakin clock around his neck. He was screamin something like 'Don't .. don't don't .. don't beleive the hype'.

And yet the anger out on the streets for people who are waiting in very long lines is very real.

WHO cares? Sorry .

I hear ya.

The government should care because now it looks like they interrupted their production lines for a less effective vaccine for pregnant women.

[Oleg Bach]

Think I made my point that the vaccine would not have been delayed if the government hadn't ordered a change after promising a guaranteed supply to the provinces.

This blaming the company for following government instructions is passing the buck.

No it's not - The company knew they could not cut it and Ottawa never gave the thought of coming up short much thought. There is no passing the buck here. Find out who is the best and most massive producer in the planet of vacine and I bet it is NOT the company in question - Ottawa should have gone for the best provider..but you know politics - It's about assisting those that put you there.