Central Alberta frontline healthcare workers will have H1N1 flu clinics dedicated specifically for them inside hospitals and other facilities, says an Alberta Health Services spokeswoman.
Shelley Rattray said on Wednesday that staff immunization clinics are forthcoming. Dates and locations will be forwarded onto all staff within the central zone.
She said these clinics had been postponed because there wasn’t enough vaccine to go around.
“We had some scheduled but we were not able to attain enough vaccine in time,” Rattray said.
“As soon as the vaccine is available, we will be delivering those clinics.”
Rattray noted some staff had been immunized at facilities prior to this delay.
For those workers who don’t wish or cannot wait, Rattray said they are encouraged to attend a public clinic closest to them.
And staff can show their ID in order to bump the queue.
Rattray said some people may want to do this if they are on a break from work.
“They don’t have to show their ID — it’s just to expedite the process, if required,” Rattray said.
Rattray added health care workers in outlying areas are not being discouraged from attending public clinics.
An H1N1 flu immunization clinic was held on Tuesday at the Alberta Health Services administration building on Michener Bend in Red Deer where about 150 employees work.
They don’t have direct patient contact.
Rattray said this staff answers all of the calls from each health facility site.
They also co-ordinate all of the vaccination shipments and other logistics and planning related to H1N1 and seasonal flu vaccination.
So they are unable to leave to go to a public clinic, Rattray said.
“If they wanted to go to the clinic, at the time the line would have been closed off,” she said.
Clinics are cutting off the queue late in the day.
There was no public flu clinic held on Tuesday, Rattray added.
ltester@www.reddeeradvocate.com