Individuals under 65 with chronic illnesses now eligible for vaccine

After the province recorded its seventh H1N1 related death on the weekend, Health and Community Services Minister Jerome Kennedy announced an expansion of the vaccination criteria.

Eastern Health said a 29-year-old woman died at one of its facilities Saturday, due to complications related to the H1N1 influenza. The health authority said the patient had underlying medical conditions, but due to patient confidentiality, no further details were released.

Beginning today, Monday, all individuals up to but not including 65 years of age with a chronic medical illness will be eligible to receive the H1N1 vaccine at mass immunization clinics throughout the province.

Mr. Kennedy noted planning still calls for vaccinations to be administered to Grades 4-6 students starting today as well. The vaccine will be delivered in the schools where possible.

"As we continue with our balanced approach, which is to offer the H1N1 vaccine to individuals who are high risk and to school-aged children, we are now in a position to offer the vaccine to all individuals under the age of 65 who have a chronic medical illness.

"While we are still limited by the amount of vaccine we have, we will continue to offer the vaccine until the supply is gone and the next shipment of vaccine is received."

Previously, individuals up to but not including 65 years of age with chronic respiratory disease were eligible for the vaccine. That group has now been expanded to include individuals with other chronic medical illnesses such as diabetes, cardiac disease, blood disorders, bowel disease, etc.

In addition, all individuals currently receiving hemodialysis, regardless of age, are also eligible for the H1N1 vaccine beginning today.

The federal government officially approved use of the unadjuvanted H1N1 vaccine in Canada Nov. 13. The vaccine is now approved for individuals between 10 and 64 years of age who are not immunocompromised.

According to the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC), the adjuvanted and unadjuvanted vaccines have been shown to provide an excellent immune response for individuals between 10 and 64 years of age.

Effective today, individuals up to but not including 65 years of age with a chronic medical illness will have the option of receiving the unadjuvanted vaccine at mass immunization clinics once the adjuvanted vaccine is no longer available.

If individuals choose not to accept the unadjuvanted vaccine at that time, they will be given the first opportunity to receive the adjuvanted vaccine once the next shipment is received.

Chief Medical Officer of Health Dr. Faith Stratton insisted "I want to reassure people that the unadjuvanted vaccine is safe and effective in preventing H1N1 infection. Both the adjuvanted and unadjuvanted vaccines have been shown to provide a strong immune response on average in over 90 per cent of the people who received them in clinical trials.

"While the unadjuvanted vaccine was initially produced specifically for pregnant women in Canada, it is being used in other countries such as the United States for the entire population."