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How Ontario screwed up swine flu preparedness

All the queue jumping over who’s getting and not getting the H1N1 vaccine for swine flu has reached a fever pitch.

Or, at least we thought it did when it was revealed a few days back that members of the Raptors and the Leafs somehow got on the priority list.

Now we discover that the police chief and others on the force got theirs too.

The city’s Public Health unit has been taking a fair bit of needling for its swine flu preparedness, or the lack thereof. Why those who live on the streets were not prioritized for the shot is mystifying. We know about how common the spread of TB can be among the homeless population.

How easy would it be for a worker at one of the city’s shelters, or a firefighter or emergency services worker to come in contact with a carrier.

And then go home and give it to family members and then those family members spreading it to those they come in contact with in the outside world?

The feds, too, deserve a fair share of the blame for screwing up the supply side of the equation by going with one company for the vaccine.

Where does the province fit in all the panic over the pandemic?

Flick through Toronto Public Health agendas when the office of the Medical Officer of Health tabled its plan for pandemic influenza preparedness back in 2007. Something approaching willful neglect emerges on the province’s part.

All the more mentionable now since the man who would be mayor, one George Smitherman, was health minister at the time.

Back then, the World Health Organization was already issuing dire warnings.

Avian flu was in the air (remember that?).

And the city was freaked by the potential fallout from another pandemic on city workers, especially first responders (cops, firefighters, emergency services etc…) and those in homes for the aged, children’s services, emergency medical services, shelter support and housing who come in contact with those at higher risk.

But the province seemed to be indifferent to any pending medical emergency. Was there a plan? Apparently the only one in place was to leave responsibility to already stretched Public Health units of municipalities.

Not even a letter penned by the mayor to premier Dalton McGuinty requesting guidance, was enough to shake the Libs out of their stupor.

The city wanted to move forward and begin stockpiling supplies, N95 masks for non-medical staff who work with the public.

The city knew it had to move fast, but didn’t want to go ahead and buy anti-viral medications, in particular Tamiflu. They have an expiry date, but no refund should they no longer be usable.

At one point, Toronto Public Health wasn’t even sure if the feds would grant the city permission to stockpile anti-virals. A license is required.

Money seemed to be an overriding factor. Some $20 million would be needed by the city to pay for personal protection equipment and infection control supplies, as well as anti-virals.

The city ended up having to go it alone. We seem to be seeing a repeat with H1N1. Last week the province notified public health units that supplies of the vaccine are more limited than expected. Should we be surprised?[rssbreak]

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