November 20, 2009 - Update on H1N1 vaccine supply and reporting

To: Physicians qualified as Alternate Vaccine Delivery Agents for H1N1

From: Dr. Isra Levy, Medical Officer of Health; Dr. Merrilee Fullerton, President, Academy of Medicine Ottawa; Dr. Vera Etches, Associate Medical Officer of Health; Dr. Nadine Sicard, Associate Medical Officer of Health

Dear Colleagues,

We would like to sincerely thank the approximately 200 family physicians who have answered the call to assist with vaccinating the public with the pandemic H1N1 Influenza vaccine. The purpose of this memo is to provide a status report on vaccine supply and reporting requirements for Alternate Delivery Agents (ADAs), including physicians.

As you are aware Ottawa has seen high demand for the vaccine coupled with an unstable supply of vaccine. While we anticipate supply to stabilize over the next week or so, we have been operating on a day-to-day basis. Unfortunately this has meant that many of you have submitted your prequalification package, been approved, submitted a vaccine order, but still have not received your supply. We have been attempting to distribute partial orders so that you would have a minimal amount to get started. About 45,000 doses have been distributed to family physicians so far, but we have outstanding orders for 120,000 more doses. Please be advised that we will be distributing vaccine as ordered as soon as we have adequate supply. Until we have these large quantities available, we will have to continue with partial orders, as we are able. We will notify you when the vaccine is ready for pick up.

We are also aware that there may have been conflicting information about the reporting requirements as stipulated in the prequalification application. Today’s Provincial direction is to allow relaxing of the reporting requirements for vaccine delivered after November 20, 2009. The only data point required, from this point on, is the number of doses of vaccine that you have delivered to your patients on a weekly basis (Monday remains the reporting day of the week). The more detailed information on recipients is still required for doses given up to today’s date. The facsimile number to use is: 613-580-9649. Do not hesitate to contact Lyse Pelletier (Lyse.Pelletier@ottawa.ca or 613-580-6744, ext. 26256) or Kim Gombac (Kim.Gombac@ottawa.ca or 613-580-6744 ext. 30132) for support on the reporting requirements.

The information on the number of people vaccinated is critical for us to determine the local coverage rates and, initially, the proportions of priority populations that have been reached.

Again, thank you for your patience, and valuable contribution to the protection of our population as part of the extraordinary undertaking of vaccinating Ottawa’s residents.

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