This Thursday, Oct. 29, the first of two H1N1 vaccine clinics will be held in St. Marys.
The vaccine is being offered to the following priority groups first:
- People 64 and under with chronic conditions
- Pregnant women over 20 weeks, or with underlying medical conditions, or women who have recently had a baby.
- Healthy children six months to under five years of age
- Health care workers; and
- Household contacts and care providers of persons at high risk who cannot be immunized or may not respond to vaccines.
“There is enough vaccine for all residents who need and want it, but we want to make sure those who are at highest risk receive the vaccine first,” says Dr. Miriam Klassen, acting medical officer of health. “The best protection against the H1N1 virus is the vaccine and the benefits of vaccination far outweigh the risks.”
The Perth District Health Unit is reporting an increase in influenza activity throughout Perth County. Information provided by the health unit’s surveillance program, which includes schools, local physicians and hospitals, reflects increasing rates of Influenza-like illness.
“H1N1 is the predominant influenza strain this year so it is safe to assume that the influenza cases we are seeing are mostly H1N1” noted Klassen.
There has been one death related to influenza A reported in Perth County, but results that confirm the specific sub-type are pending. Klassen said the death is not unexpected, noting each year approximately 300 Ontarians die from influenza.
This Thursday’s clinic will be held at the Pyramid Recreation Centre, from  3-7:30 p.m. The second clinic will be held Nov. 5 from 11:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. Anyone attending a clinic is asked to bring their health card and driver’s licence (if you have one). You will still receive the vaccine even if you do not have either of these cards. 

In early November, a different form of the vaccine will be offered to pregnant women, however, because H1N1 virus activity is increasing throughout Southwestern Ontario, it is being recommended that all pregnant women with pre-existing health conditions, healthy pregnant women in the second half of their pregnancy (more than 20 weeks), and women who have recently had a baby receive the regular or adjuvanted vaccine so that protection is not delayed.
Healthy pregnant women in the first half of their pregnancy are at less risk of complications from the flu, and are encouraged to wait to receive the unadjuvanted vaccine, when it is available.
Vaccine clinics are also being held in Stratford at the Rotary Complex on Friday, Oct. 30 from 3-7:30 p.m. and Nov. 2 and 6 from 11:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. and Nov. 7 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
As for the town, it was expected to have passed its pandemic continuity plan at Tuesday’s night council’s meeting.
The plan details how the town will operate if a pandemic hits, and how services would be affected.