Flames’ shots spark second health firing

Alberta reports 2 more deaths

The wait time at the Stampede Grandstand inoculation site Friday was far shorter than the multi-hour lineups that plagued the H1N1 vaccination clinics in the city last week.

As Alberta announced two more H1N1-related deaths Friday, the province’s health superboard f ired a second person who helped organize a private H1N1 vaccination clinic for 150 Calgary Flames players, families and staff.

After completing a probe of the controversial queuej umping, Alberta Health Services said the disciplined s t a f f members were the only two people i nvolved and their actions violated the provincial protocols for vaccine use. The unidentified staff member dismissed Friday was a lowlevel manager, while the person who was let go earlier this week was a mid-level manager, according to the superboard. Both had access to the swine flu vaccine, which is in short supply across the province, as part of their work.

“The protocols and processes for allocation of the H1N1 vacci ne were very clear,” said Roman Cooney, spokesman for Alberta Health Services. “It would not be reasonable to . . . provide vaccine outside of the public clinics. There was no confusion about that whatsoever.”

The NHL team received the vaccines Oct. 30 at Father David Bauer Arena — away from lengthy lineups at mass public immunization clinics.

Calgary Flames off icials declined to comment on the superboard’s report Friday.

The Alberta NDP called the second firing “scapegoating.”

Party leader Brian Mason noted healthy Albertans were allowed to receive the vaccine alongside risk groups in the first week of the campaign and argued ultimate responsibility for the Flames’ queue-jumping lies with Health Minister Ron Liepert and Premier Ed Stelmach.

“They’re ignoring the fact these (staff ) were operating in a climate of confusion when nobody knew what was a priority or not,” said Mason, speaking to reporters in Calgary.

The comments come as the total number of deaths related to the new flu strain in Alberta climbed to 20 on Friday.

The t wo l atest vi ct i ms were both elderly men from Edmonton with underlying medical conditions.

Public health officials said it appears the second wave of H1N1 influenza hit Western Canada early this fall and is moving east.

Pharmacies in the province are filling an estimated 3,000 prescriptions daily for Tamiflu, an antiviral drug that reduces the risk of severe illness.

“I’d hesitate to predict when we would hit the peak of this second wave,” said Dr. Gerry Predy, senior medical officer of health with the superboard, who said more deaths from the virus are likely. He warned as hospitals become busier with H1N1 patients, some medical services may be postponed so staff and resources can be redirected to dealing with the pandemic cases.

Alberta Health Services also announced Friday it will expand targeted H1N1 vaccination clinics to two other risk groups next week.

Beginning Tuesday, clinics will also offer shots to children under age 10 with chronic health conditions, such as diabetes. In order protect newborns who can’t be immunized, the clinics will also open to parents of infants under six months of age (or one parent and one caregiver).

Health officials were forced to restrict the clinics to a handful of risk groups this week after Ottawa slowed delivery of the vaccine supply to provinces.

Alberta’s chief medical officer of health said there is enough vaccine on hand for the target groups and government will open clinics to other risk groups as soon as possible. The province expects another 237,000 doses of H1N1 shots to arrive next week.

“The vaccine supply issue we’re facing is forcing us to make some very difficult decisions, probably some of the most difficult I’ve had to make in my career,” said Dr. Andre Corriveau.

Inoculation clinics began offering non-adjuvanted vaccine to pregnant women Friday, who are also considered at risk of developing serious disease.

At the Stampede Grandstand site in Calgary, several expectant moms said they received their vaccine within about half an hour — far shorter waits than the multi-hour lineups that plagued clinics last week.

“It was great,” said Laren Helfer, who is 21 weeks pregnant and also brought her young son for a shot. “We were in and out in 20 minutes.”

Meanwhile, the investigation into the Flames’ flu shots provided a rough outline of the incident.

According to the probe, a Flames medical representative contacted an Alberta Health Services staff member on Oct. 27 to see if a clinic could be made available to the players and their families. The request was forwarded to a more senior staff member, who took it to a supervisor, who apparently approved the request.

The clinic was held Oct. 30, providing 150 vaccinations for the players, their families and other Flames personnel.

There was no written record of approval to proceed.

Superboard officials said the most senior staff member involved was one of the two individuals who were fired.