Canada didn't follow pandemic advice Canada didn't follow pandemic advice - The North Bay Nugget - Ontario, CA

North Bay

Light snow

Canada didn't follow pandemic advice

Posted By Christina Spencer, SUN MEDIA

Posted 2 mins ago

OTTAWA - As far back as 2004, the federal-provincial plan for combating a potential pandemic warned Canada to seek more than one supplier of vaccine - advice that wasn't followed in the run-up to this week's countrywide shortages.

With one parliamentarian already believed to be suffering from H1N1, opposition Liberals Wednesday pointed to the February 2004 Canadian Pandemic Influenza Plan, which laid out a painstaking strategy in case an international health emergency closed borders and endangered vaccine supplies from abroad.

"Canada has invested in a domestic supplier to offset this possibility," the plan says, adding, "however, it will not be known whether this supplier will be able to produce enough vaccine for the entire target population in a timely manner A the possibility of multiple suppliers should be considered in the planning process." The recommendation is still part of the official pandemic plan in 2009, but the Conservative government placed an order in August for all of Canada's H1N1 vaccine from a single company, GlaxoSmithKline.

"Some of the vaccine should be purchased from another supplier in order to make sure that you don't get into the trouble we've just been in over the last two weeks," said Liberal health critic Dr. Carolyn Bennett.

The Liberals were in power in 2004 and didn't contract with more than one drug firm either. But "there was just an understanding that when it came time to buy vaccine that we would buy it from two different companies," Bennett said.

Tim Vail, a spokesman for Health Minister Leona Aglukkaq, said the Tory government took advice from pandemic planning experts and Canada's chief public health officer on vaccine supply. He said even with one supplier, Canada is better off than other nations.

Meanwhile, the Bloc Quebecois said MP Claude Guimond from Rimouski was believed to have H1N1 and was awaiting test results. Guimond showed up for an important House of Commons vote wearing a facemask Wednesday.

The Public Health Agency of Canada said there will be 1.8 million doses of H1N1 vaccine available next week. For the current week, there were only 660,000 vials shipped out from GSK.

GSK president and CEO Paul Lucas said "it's very hard to predict" whether Canada would have been any better off if there had been more than one company making the vaccine.

"The world and Canada have never run a mass vaccination program for all of its people for influenza.

"We cannot afford to compromise on the quality of this product and we will not compromise on the quality of this product."

christina.spencer@sunmedia.ca

Article ID# 2161429

Submit content

* Reddit

facebook MySpace Twitter google

Comments on this Article. You are currently not logged in.

Discuss this Article

Topic guidelines: We welcome your thoughts, stories and information related to this article. Please stay on topic and be respectful of others. Keep the conversation appropriate for interested readers.

Tags: canada, didnt, follow, pandemic, advice, vaccine, supplier, health, will, plan,

Canada Articles: * Duceppe declines dinner offer with Prince Charles

* Authorities confirm men's bodies found

* Mourners say farewell to teen

* Legal battle over for single mom ordered deported

* Ferrets at risk of flu

* Little love in Canada for Chuck

* Lottery winner finally gets his prize

* Senators owner looks to recoup money

Person

* PLEASURE CRAFT OPERATOR CARD-COURSES DAILY

$42.00 for group rates. Call 472-9280 to book your group today. Courses available 7 days a week DAYS-EVENINGS-WEEKENDS Course, Exam and Pleasure [...]

* H1N1 Vaccine

I think the distribution of the vaccine hasn't been done properly. In line for the shot is not just the high risk groups. It was [...]

* WAY TO GO KEVIN

Way to go Kevin never letting the little things get you down keep going for your goal. You can all ways join another Foot ball [...]

* H1N1

well what gets me is the government should have made it that the schools can get the shot if the parents wanted because kids past [...]

* Gas prices

(Hope this is the vent column). GAS IS ~93.4 IN SUDBURY, BUT >103 IN NORTH BAY, YET IT'S NOT THAT MUCH FURTHER TO SHIP. WHATUPWITDAT? [...]

* Beware of rookies

A lame excuse for stopping us, our licence plate number was close to a smaller car's that was reported to police because of erratic driving.

* construction

How many times are they going to pave Gormanville Rd and tear it up again . It is getting to be a pain. Also whose

* CAS Memberships for Accountability

If you have concerns about children in foster care, consider applying for a membership with the Children's Aid Society. All you have to do is

* CIRCLE LAKE COMMUNITY CENTRE

SHAME ON THE CITY COUNCIL FOR REFUSING TO EMPLOY CANADORE COLLEGE STUDENTS AND PUTTING ALL THESE YOUNG KIDS ON THE STREET ON FRIDAY NIGHTS. IF

* Thats Our Flag!!!...

I just wondered if anyone else was watching the Yankees and Minnesota game Sunday night, and also, if you noticed our Canadian flag

Today

* BOAT CARD AND COURSE ... $42.00 FOR GROUP RATES

* Brain Injury and Stroke Survivors and Care-givers Support Groups

* Meagan's Antarctic Odyssey

* Miniature Miracles and Gifts Art Show

* Pleasure Craft Operator Card

* THE EDGE Powassan Youth Group

* Win a Free Carwash and Learn Five Things you can do for your waterway

Nov. 7, 2009

* BAZAAR

* Commanda Community Centre Music Night

* Meditation and Loving-kindness - Facilitated by Buddhist Nun

* Nipissing Lapidiary and MIneral Club

* Nipissing Lapidiary and MIneral Club

concept		evidence	hits	links
	$drugwar_propaganda 70% [news] [concept]	$propaganda_theme2 $propaganda_theme3 $propaganda_theme5 $propaganda_theme6		Classic Modern Drug Propaganda Themes in Chemical Prohibition Drug War Propaganda (book)
	$propaganda_theme2 50% [news] [concept]	"Stroke"	1	Madness,Crime,Violence,Illness (propaganda theme 2) http://www.drugwarfacts.org/crime.htm http://www.drugwarfacts.org/causes.htm Distortion 18: Cannabis and Mental Illness
	$propaganda_theme3 55% [news] [concept]	"Society" "COMMUNITY"	4	Survival of Society (propaganda theme 3)
	$propaganda_theme5 70% [news] [concept]	"children" "kids" "teen" "Youth"	6	Children Corrupted (propaganda theme 5) http://www.drugwarfacts.org/adolesce.htm
	$propaganda_theme6 65% [news] [concept]	"pandemic" "battle"	9	Demonize, War (propaganda theme 6)
	$drugs 90% [news] [concept]	$various_drugs
	$various_drugs 90% [news] [concept]	"drug"	1
	$youth 70% [news] [concept]	$propaganda_theme5		http://www.ssdp.org/ http://www.mapinc.org/youth.htm
	$school [news] [concept]	"schools" "COLLEGE"	2	http://www.ssdp.org/
	$aggrandizement [news] [concept]	"official" "experts" "Authorities"	3	http://www.google.com/search?q=%22tyranny+o...

observer's propaganda picks

See drug-warrior propaganda somewhere?
Submit text or a url, and bot will analyze prohibition propaganda for you!

Prohibition-era cartoons
Anti-prohibition political cartoons from Prohibition I.

Donate to drugsense please give generously!