Gazette Staff 

Perth County has been prudent in getting vaccinated against the H1N1 flu – but, as evidenced in other municipalities, getting the vaccine may become more difficult due to shortages.

“We’re very pleased with how many people have had vaccinations – it’s pretty unprecedented,” says Dr. Miriam Klassen, acting medical officer of health for Perth County.

As of Friday afternoon, almost 5,500 had been vaccinated at Perth District Health Unit-run clinics, and, with clinics taking place on Monday in Stratford and Tuesday in Mitchell, the number of those immunized will likely creep toward about 7,000 – or roughly 10 per cent of the total population of Perth County  being vaccinated.

That’s if there is enough vaccine available to continue the priority clinics.

Last week, GlaxoSmithKline, producers of the H1N1 vaccine in Canada, interrupted production to begin producing a different version of the vaccine, intended for pregnant women. This switchover lead to a shortage of the traditional vaccine – and could lead to cancellation of priority group clinics this week, Klassen warns.

The Perth District Health Unit received three deliveries of the vaccine, containing 12,000 shots.

With half being used already, “I can see getting through most of the week,” Klassen says, but notes that longer clinics have been scheduled for this week.

For clinics later in the week, Klassen says that “we will let people know as soon as we know” if the clinic has to be delayed, via the health unit’s website (www.pdhu.on.ca), or on local radio.

“It is possible we may have to cancel some,” she adds.

The Huron Perth Healthcare Alliance (HPHA) continues to work closely with both the Perth District Health Unit, and the Huron County Health Unit, to ensure the situation remains manageable.
Stratford General Hospital has seen an increase in the number of patients coming to the emergency room with flu-like symptoms, but very few are being admitted. And it seems to be slowing slightly – at the start of the week, fewer people were coming in.

“The volumes in our emerg have increased, but not necessarily our admissions,” explained Marie Ormerod, vice president of workplace health. “We’re busier, but we’re normally busier at this time of year with influenza-like illnesses.”

Some hospital staff have gotten sick, but it’s not unusual at this time of year, Ormerod said.

“Are we a little high on staff illnesses? Probably.  Is it anything we can’t handle? Certainly not,” she said.

Currently, there are no visitor restrictions in place at the hospital, but officials are asking people – especially children – to limit their visits. However, the hospital has been considering putting restrictions in place and encourages everyone to check the HPHA website for information.

Mary Cardinal, interim vice president of clinical programs, is urging people to wash their hands frequently. For those who are ill, she said it is best to call the emergency department, your family doctor or Telehealth Ontario to ensure a visit is necessary before coming to the hospital for treatment.

“We are busier but our situation right now is manageable,” Cardinal said, adding they are working with a flexible pandemic plan. “Our physicians and our staff are working hard to manage the situation.”

At our schools, meanwhile, both the Avon Maitland and Huron-Perth Catholic school boards continue to monitor the situation. Daily absentee updates are being posted by the AMDSB at www.yourschools.ca. while the Catholic board is collecting data on a weekly basis.

On Monday, the public board reported 12 elementary schools and one secondary school had at least a 10 per cent student absentee rate due to illness. No public schools in Stratford, however, hit that mark.

On Friday, Oct. 30, Shakespeare Public was the only public school in the city to reach the 10 per cent threshold.

Steve Howe, manager of communications for the AMDSB, says the number of schools reaching a 10 per cent absentee rate is fluctuating each day. He adds, however, it’s predominantly Huron County schools on the list, while when the board first began monitoring it was mostly Perth County schools.

Howe says both Stratford Central and Stratford Northwestern were over the 10 per cent mark when the board began its monitoring.

As for the Catholic board, superintendent of education Dan Parr says all five of its schools in Stratford, St. Joseph’s, Jeanne Sauve, St. Ambrose, St. Aloysius and St. Michael,  reported at least a 10 per cent absentee rate for at least one day during the week of Oct. 19-23, which is the most recent data available. 

The safety precautions that school boards continue to stress to students are also being emphasized to staff, says Parr, who notes they have had some staff take time off.

It’s the same with the public schools, where Howe says “very few” schools have reported at least a 10 per cent faculty absentee rate.