The vaccine for the H1N1 virus is now available to the public in Ottawa and across Canada, but is only being distributed to high priority groups.
The high-priority groups identified by Ottawa Public Health are pregnant women, people with chronic medical conditions, children between six months and five years old, healthcare workers, people living in isolated communities, and caretakers of infants and people with compromised immune systems.
In a media update on Oct. 30, Ontario’s medical officer of health Dr. Arlene King said individuals not considered high priority will not be vaccinated until further notice due to reduced production by the vaccine provider, GlaxoSmithKline.
“I cannot stress this strongly enough: if you are not in a priority group please be patient and respect the sequencing. We will not be immunizing people who do not fall under the six priority groups. Wait to get your vaccine once those who will benefit the most have received it,” King said.
Some students are not bothered by the lack of vaccine.
“I don’t think it’s necessary because it’s just the flu,” said Breton Fraser, a first-year English student at Saint Francis Xavier University.
Others, like first-year science student Katelyn Peterson at the University of Alberta, planned on getting vaccinated as soon as the shot was available. In Peterson’s case, she caught H1N1 a week before the vaccine was approved.
“I couldn’t afford to miss any classes if I got sick, so I was planning to get the vaccine to avoid extra homework,” she said.