Are You Assisting in Innoculations ?

[tniuqs]

Richard ...

Thanks for that so back on track, this I on behalf of our regulatory body: I may have made note before but this is the official release.

Questions have been raised by Alberta Health Services and health practitioners regarding the use of EMT-Ps in the administration of the H1N1 vaccines. The Alberta College of Paramedics, Alberta Health Services (AHS), and Alberta Health and Wellness have been in discussions regarding this issue. The ACP has determined that the administration of the H1N1 vaccine--delivered via intramuscular injection--is within the scope of practice of an EMT-P.

EMT-Ps working within AHS or on contract to AHS, may administer vaccines after receiving appropriate training for the H1N1 vaccine administration, and must follow the protocol for EMS developed and approved by Alberta Health Services (attached). EMT-Ps should also ensure they are familiar with the guidelines for managing anaphylaxis related to immunizations (attached).

Information on the principles for EMT-Ps for the administration of medications, and more specifically to administer a medication via intramuscular injection, are covered in the following specific references in the Alberta Occupational Competency Profile for EMT-Ps:

· A-3 Knowledge of Pathophysiology

· A-3-4 Immune system

· A-4 Principles of Pharmacology

· B-8 Infection prevention and control

· H-7 Immune Alterations

· G-4 Administration by Intramuscular Route

For further information on H1N1 and the vaccine, please visit http://www.health.alberta.ca/health-professionals.html.

It appears that Alberta is following a similar inoculation Plan as NYC because after the initial media driven free for all was a disaster in itself, btw pro hockey players currently have been dropped from the "priority list" and 2 higher ups are looking for work.

Note Well: the priorities, are of still those children under 5 and pregnant females (as of the 7th)

Further the readjusted triage list for:

ALL HCW and first contact staff:

Police,

FF.

We should really look at this situation as a biological attack in a manner of speaking, protecting vital infrastructure is essential, and news is the vaccine is arriving from the OUR FEDS by the plane load.

Now extended to children up to 10 and one caregiver, supply dependent.

cheers

PS (mildly sick is acceptable) if the patient is not Febrile and is in no way mandatory.

[Richard B the EMT]

OK, tniuqs, we may be falling into my usual situation mentioned, that of different localities, counties, states or provences, and countries having different protocols, even if said areas are next to each other.

NYC opened up schools on the weekend as medical PODs for school children, but few parents brought any in. Actually, from what I heard, there were more elderly came seeking the vaccine for themselves than parents bringing in their children.

Adults were turned away, but I think they changed their minds, and now elderly folks are being given, but that is hearsay, not documented as far as I know, for the city of New York.

[tniuqs]

Well the public media initial feeding frenzy got stopped in its tracks when the clinics ALL got shut down, looking like its getting triaged now ... good news for Fist responders in AB in my area but this is a rather large field(s) we play in up here.

Just trying to make sense from media, government and a few quakes voicing there 2 cents (btw thats 1.2345) at the conversion rate to USD

Well at least NYC is doing its best, one can lead a horse to water but ...

cheers

[Kaisu]

got my seasonal flu shot and the H1N1 shot today at the station. Health Department made 180 doses of H1N1 available, enough to cover all fulltime front line employees. Guess what? There are doses left over because some people opted NOT to receive the inoculation.

On a related note, we had run review. This is a monthly meeting of all EMS agencies in the area and includes us (private ambo)and 4 city and outlying community fire departments. Our medical director stated that there are at least 5 deaths last month attributable directly to H1N1 at the one hospital. More scary than the numbers are the types of death - all supposedly "low" risk patients between 26 and 50 years of age without major co-morbidities. This count does not include a young female, 7 months pregnant. The baby was delivered by C-section and is doing well. Mom is fighting for her life, 2nd day in ICU on a vent.

Our medical director states that it is the first time in his entire career that he is not sure of what he can do for these patients.

[tniuqs]

Kaisu

http://www.carta.ca/home/default.aspx

Any others that may be interested, click on H1N1 now ... then go to Pandemic Educational Materials.

Great Power Point Productions.

cheers

[SA_Medic]

We still have no inoculation program in place here in fact, I am told we have no vaccine available. The only program we have in place right now is simply treating the confirmed cases.

With the amount of stupid tourists and French people we fly around the country here (they have the habit of driving where they look on the gravel roads) after having a vehicle roll over it's a matter of time before a member of the medical fraternity tests positive. I suppose then things might move towards a vaccination program.

[tniuqs]

Dear Mr. Squint:

Thank you for your recent correspondence to Mr. Rae about the H1N1 pandemic.

The federal government has to be held to account for its reaction to the threat posed by H1N1. The confusion, delays, and sudden drops in availability of the drug require an answer, and question period in the House of Commons is an important venue to hold the government accountable.

The federal government has yet to demonstrate that it is treating H1N1 with the seriousness it deserves. While it spends $100 million on partisan ads; it spends a fraction of that raising awareness about H1N1. This has resulted, in large scale confusion about the risks posed by H1N1, a lack of public knowledge about the shot, and little promotion of ways to fight the spread of H1N1. The answers given in the House are less than clear and candid.

Further, in 2006 the government budget allocated $400 million to respond to future pandemics, the government has yet to utilize this fund. Mr. Rae would like to see the government use this money for the purpose it was intended, helping and enabling health workers fight H1N1.

These are two very simple ideas, both are easy to implement, and they would demonstrate that the government takes this health threat seriously.

Once again I would like to thank you for sharing your thoughts with Mr. Rae, I hope you will not hesitate to contact him again on any further concerns that you may have.

Yours Sincerely

Office of the Hon. Bob Rae

613-992-5234

raeb@parl.gc.ca

SIR:

I commend you HIGHLY on your comment's regarding H1N1 today on TV ... I am an Albertan, a Registered Paramedic and a Registered Respiratory Therapist who just happens to be ill at home, day 5, and likely due to H1N1 and taking my GPs advice to self isolate myself. My brother returned from the middle east 6 days ago and I gave him a hug, appears now a huge error as I was not inoculated for H1N1, a debated topic at the Alberta College of Respiratory Therapists annual general meeting over a month ago, by the way the Ventilators purchased for this well known and predicted by WHO for this imminent Pandemic are a laughable, (well not humorous at all today) they do not have the capability to deal with the intensive ventilator care required, very sadly.

The reason I write is that you are correct, our government here under Liepert as Health minister receives a huge "F" and should resign immediately for his comments today in the legislature, only 125 to 400 expected to die ? Therefore, I have personally extended an invitation to my home (and his family) for milk and cookies ... as for the last 3 days I would have very much enjoyed sharing this illness (oddly enough he has not dropped by, nor returned my call)

http://www.calgarysun.com/news/alberta/2009/10/29/11563116-sun.html

On another topic as a First Responder please review his Deputy Ministers Comments, ignoring Canada Health's advice.

http://www.calgarysun.com/news/alberta/2009/10/28/11550396-sun.html

We as professional Health Providers called Advanced Care PARAMEDICS are a forgotten resource (in Alberta) in my humble opinion a huge error and based on some type of turf wars .... appears that Toronto EMS is far ahead, as is the methodology in Sault Ste Marie, making an appointment (brilliant really) yet in Alberta we are amassing large groups of people, awaiting in confined areas. Well as a Health Care provider this is the most effective way of actually transmitting disease, My Grandfather a WW1 veteran and a POW also exposed to Spanish influenza, well he himself would be shaking his head in absolute disbelief.

Health Care delivery is a provincial responsibility and I believe that the National Health Minister and Medical Advisors (yes I know a Conservative) are doing their best an excellent internet site, evidence based medicine applied, very unfortunately the Provincial Health in Alberta receives the FAIL here, it will be interesting to do a post mortems on the different delivery methods ... I pray that my children will not be in the statistical analysis.

I have a suggestion but this has been basically ignored, we have these units called Industrial Ambulances over 1000 I suspect sitting due down turn in the oilpatch, perhaps use that resources and a call center to inoculate those that wish to their homes .... I would be most pleased to assist in ANY way to assist ... I expect that in another 4 days I will have developed my own immunity, I know of many other EMS providers that would be pleased to assist as well.

Feel free to Contact.

cheers

[Richard B the EMT]

I previously mentioned my involvement with the FDNY's BioPOD, used for offering H1N1 Vaccine to uniformed FDNY members, 11-05-09 to 11-08-09. An admittedly unscientific aspect of this was, only half of those who reported to the BioPOD sites accepted the vaccine. (I go mine.)

[tniuqs]

The death rate from Canada Health website:

http://www.phac-aspc.gc.ca/alert-alerte/h1n1/surveillance-eng.php

The World Health Organization:

Public health significance of virus mutation detected in Norway.

http://www.phac-aspc.gc.ca/alert-alerte/h1n1/surveillance-eng.php

http://www.who.int/csr/don/2009_11_20a/en/index.html

Weekly update

20 November 2009 -- As of 15 November 2009, worldwide more than 206 countries and overseas territories or communities have reported laboratory confirmed cases of pandemic influenza H1N1 2009, including over 6770 deaths.

As many countries have stopped counting individual cases, particularly of milder illness, the case count is likely to be significantly lower than the actual number of cases that have occurred. WHO is actively monitoring the progress of the pandemic through frequent consultations with the WHO Regional Offices and member states and through monitoring of multiple sources of data.

Situation update:

The situation remains similar since the last update. In temperate regions* of the northern hemisphere, the early arriving winter influenza season continues to intensify across parts of North America and much of Europe. However, there are early signs of a peak in disease activity in some areas of the northern hemisphere.

In the United States, influenza transmission remains active and geographically widespread, although disease activity appears to have recently peaked in most areas except in the northeastern United States. In Canada, influenza transmission continues to intensify without a clear peak in activity; the ILI consultation rate, which has been highest among children aged 5-19, continues to significantly exceed mean rates observed over the past 12 influenza seasons.

Yup its a government conspiracy this vaccine

[Quakefire]

We were contacted by the Saskatoon Health Region to help with inoculations, we were told we would be sent the 4 hours of pre-reading for the course and we would spend all day their learning and so forth. So at 22:30 the night before the class we were informed that we wouldn't be doing the course, SHR didn't want us any more. So people of Saskatoon and area just remember why the lines are so long.