Unadjuvanted H1N1 Dose Now Available for Pregnant Women

Josh Pringle
Thursday, November 5, 2009

Ottawa Public Health is still waiting for word on when the next shipment of the H1N1 flu vaccine will arrive from the Ministry of Health.

More than 100-thousand people have received the H1N1 flu vaccine since the city launched the vaccination clinics 11 days ago, including 75-hundred people on Wednesday.

Officials have said the 130-thousand doses of the H1N1 flu vaccine will last until the end of the week, and it's unclear when the next shipment will arrive.

Starting today, 55-hundred doses of the unadjuvanted H1N1 vaccine will be available for pregnant women at city-run immunization clinics.

The unadjuvanted dose doesn't contain an immune-boosting additive found in the main vaccine.

The unadjuvanted dose will be available at the city's five fixed vaccination-clinic sites, but public health officials are considering a standalone clinic for pregnant women.

Meantime, the six flu-assessment centres opened to Ottawa residents on Wednesday with flu-like symptoms.

Executive Director of the Centretown Health Centre Simone Thibault says patients were triaged as they came into the clinic.

Thibault says most people exhibited mild to moderate symptoms of the H1N1 virus, and were treated and sent home.