November 12, 2009: pH1N1 Influenza Clinical Update

To: Primary Care Providers and alternate delivery agents
From: Dr. Isra Levy, Medical Officer of Health; Dr. Merrilee Fullerton, President, Academy of Medicine Ottawa; Dr. Nadine Sicard, Associate Medical Officer of Health; Dr. Vera Etches, Associate Medical Officer of Health

Thank you for your ongoing collaboration to protect and care for the Ottawa population as part of the health sector response to the pandemic H1N (pH1N1) influenza.

Vaccine supply and distribution

By the end of day today, OPH will have distributed almost 190,000 doses of the pH1N1 vaccine through City-operated clinics, hospitals and many alternate delivery agents (ADAs). This distribution represents roughly 22 per cent of the Ottawa population, and the overall goal is to vaccinate 40 per cent of residents.

At this point, indicators suggest that further distribution to ADAs, now including family physicians, will assist in reaching the groups at highest risk of complications. The first shipment of pH1N1 vaccine started November 11, 2009, to physicians who have prequalified and who are able to begin to deliver the vaccine immediately. With limited supply, few requests will be shipped in full at this point. The vaccine must be offered free of charge and is currently available for those in the first sequenced groups, which include health care workers, pregnant women, people under 65 with medical conditions, children between six months to five years of age, and household members of people unlikely to be protected by vaccine (children < 6 months of age or immunocompromised people).

OPH continues to encourage primary care providers who wish to deliver pH1N1 vaccine to their patients to visit ottawa.ca/health to access the prequalification package, or call 613-580-2424, ext. 26256 or 26325, to prequalify for vaccine and register your requests for the number of doses you require.

As per new provincial direction, OPH is also distributing vaccine this week to ADAs to vaccinate emergency responders and seniors over 65 with medical conditions who are in institutions such as long-term care facilities and hospitals. OPH mass vaccination clinics will continue to focus on the first priority groups until the current vaccine supply has been exhausted. With delivery out to ADAs, it is anticipated that OPH’s pH1N1 vaccination clinics will temporarily halt at the end of day today, unless further supply is delivered. Updates on clinic status will be posted on ottawa.ca/health for you and your patients.

To reach all those who want and need the vaccine, the provincial government is currently deciding several important policy issues regarding what new groups should be vaccinated and how the non-adjuvanted vaccine should be used. Decisions on when to open clinics to the general population are also pending. When OPH vaccine supply is more solid and mass immunization clinics resume, operations will reflect these provincial policy decisions.

More N95 user training and fit-testing clinics

The Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care is holding a free N95 user training and fit-testing clinic for health care providers who have not already been fit-tested, on November 21, 2009, at Novotel Ottawa, 33 Nicholas St., Ottawa.

Participation will be on a first-come, first-served basis. Health care providers are required to register at: http://solutions.3mcanada.ca/wps/portal/3M/en_CA/CA-HealthCare/Home/Resources/CourseRegistration/UserTraining/