The announcement that less than one-third of Torontonians received the H1N1 vaccine is taking health experts by surprise and creating alarm over potential system-wide deficiencies with the country’s pandemic planning.
It’s also raising questions over the lack of solid data on vaccination rates across the country and the accuracy of immunization estimates being used by some cities and provinces.
On Tuesday, Toronto Public Health released a report that showed 28 per cent of Toronto residents received the H1N1 vaccine. That’s far below national estimates from the Public Health Agency of Canada that indicate nearly half of the country’s population received the shot. And it’s lower than the 40 per cent that Ontario typically immunizes against seasonal flu.
“I’m surprised that it appears to be significantly lower than that,” said Allison McGeer, director of infection control at Toronto's Mount Sinai Hospital.
As policy-makers and health experts evaluate the response to the H1N1 pandemic, Toronto’s relatively low vaccination rate signals serious problems that need to be addressed across the system, said Earl Brown, professor in the biochemistry, microbiology and immunology department at the University of Ottawa.
Vaccine programs in Toronto and elsewhere were dogged by inconsistent communication from the government over the availability of the vaccine and who should receive it first, as well as problems with vaccine supply and the prominence of anti-vaccine advocates who spread myths about immunization risks, Prof. Brown said.
“When the experts start equivocating, then the public really had to throw up their hands sometimes,” he said.
Alberta’s chief medical officer of health said the province immunized about 33 per cent of its population and agreed that missteps were made and that pandemic planning needs major improvements.
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/low-h1n1-vaccination-rate-alarms-health-experts/article1583841/
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