H1N1 Vaccine Approved in Canada

H1N1 vaccine has been approved for use in Canada, Health Minister Leona Aglukkaq announced today. Provinces will begin vaccination shortly, beginning with high priority populations. Each province is setting its own schedule and determining who will receive the vaccine first. Priority is generally given to health care workers, very young children and pregnant women, and the chronically ill. Because each province (and sometimes specific cities) has its own schedule for distribution of the vaccine, who goes to the front of the line also differs from region to region. Check with your health care provider or health authority for details.

Vaccine Dosage Recommendations

The vaccine that has been approved is the adjuvanted formula manufactured by GlaxoSmithKline and already pre-positioned across Canada for quicker distribution.

Recommendations have been made according to the age of the individual. Children aged 6 months to 10 years must receive two half-dose shots, a minimum of 21 days apart. All other children and adults are to receive one full dose. The vaccine is not authorized for babies under six months. Family members of babies in this age group can be vaccinated to provide extra protection to the infants, and will be included in priority groups.

H1N1 Vaccine Recommendations for Pregnant Women

As there is insufficient information on the use of the adjuvant in pregnant women and very young children, Health Canada has ordered non-adjuvanted vaccine for this population. Approval for this vaccine is expected within days, but it appears none of it has yet been shipped in the pre-positioning effort.

Pregnant women are currently advised to wait for non-adjuvanted vaccine. However, if the H1N1 rate is high or on the increase, women who have reached 20 weeks of pregnancy should get the vaccine that is available, even if it contains adjuvant. These women are at particularly high risk for severe complications is they become infected with H1N1 influenza.

Pregnant women in Quebec are also urged to consider preventive leave if they work in school, daycare or health care settings. The program is administered by the province's workplace safety commission, the Commission de la santé et de la sécurité au travail (CSST.) This leave does not effect the duration of maternity leave.

Turkey Flock Infection

After it was discovered that turkeys at a farm in Ontario have been infected with H1N1 influenza livestock workers were encouraged to become vaccinated. Influenza can jump from humans to animals and back again. In doing so it can mutate, and those who had acquired immunity through infection or vaccination may again be susceptible. The best prevention is to be sure livestock workers are protected. The food supply is, at the moment, not in an danger.

Details of Vaccination Programs for Your Province

Links to detailed information for each province and territory can be found here: "H1N1 vaccination clinics, province by province" and "Swine flu vaccine approved in Canada".

More on H1N1 from this author:
H1N1 History and Recent Developments | Masks and Swine Flu | Pregnant Women and H1N1: Quebec Offers Preventive Leave | H1N1: Handwashing with Alcohol-Based Sanitizers | H1N1 Vaccination in Canada: Non-Adjuvanted Vaccines for Pregnant Women

Sources:

"Feds approve swine-flu vaccine, shots to begin in days" yahoo Canada News

"Flu shots urged for livestock workers after turkeys contract H1N1" Meagan Fitzpatrick (Canwest News)

"Health Canada approves H1N1 swine flu vaccine" CTV News

"Swine flu" Canada.com

"Swine-flu vaccine approved in Canada" CBC News