Provincial Health Officials recently released the shedule of flu vaccination available for the general populace starting October. For the seasonal flu, vaccines will be available for those 65 years or older, and seniors living in long-term facilities. By November, it is expected that the H 1 N 1 vaccine will arrive. Medical staff will distribute the vaccines to an estimated three million British Columbians. Early 2010, the Seasonal flu vaccines will be available for anyone under 65 years of age. According to Provincial Health Officer Dr.Perry Kendall, “ delivering the vaccine campaign in this fashion allows us to best protect those in British Columbia most at risk from seasonal flu, a group also least at risk form the H 1 N 1 virus.” “ It also allows us to ensure who needs the H 1 N 1 flu vaccine will be able to receive it soon after it is available.” The elderly, according to Dr.Kendall are less susceptible to the H 1 N 1 due to exposure to a similar virus prior to 1957.
Medical Doctors are predicting a spike in the numbers of H 1 N 1 patients beginning this month. The delay in the delivery for the H 1 N 1 vaccine was attributed to Health officials deciding that the domestic supplier should complete its run of seasonal vaccine before producing the H 1 N 1 vaccine. The projected H 1 N 1 infection rate is 11 to 15 per cent of the population in BC for the upcoming season. The province has ordered 6.2 million total doses of H 1 N 1 vaccine.
The BC Goverment under Gordon Campbell has initiated the plan of shifting Nurses in facilities and putting them in Acute Care meaning Hospitals. In Lions Gate Hospital alone an estimate 45% of Facility Nurses will be given pink slips before the end of the year. Elsewhere in BC, the shift are being felt all over as Geriatric facilities are losing their Nurses in favor of Licensed Practical Nurses.
This is a big boost to LPN’s who are being encouraged to join the BCNU and go away with their Unions BCGEU and HEU as it’s newly minted Associate Members. Todate, with the protest of BCGEU and HEU going to courts nothing has been finalized as yet. So why you might ask is the Liberal Government so enthusiastic about changing the nursing practices we have been accustomed to? It is simple math, by going away with Nurses the Government will be saving $10-$12 per hour in Nurses salary. But the big question is, what about quality and expertise? This has been the biggest problem of the Liberal Government under Campbell, by seemingly trying to cut corners it is the general population that suffer. When he took to contract out Housekeeping and kitchen staff in most of the Hospitals what happened? Hygiene and sanitation problems abound, cross-contamination, Norwalk virus, MRSA (antibiotic resistant) and other airborne bacterias and viruses which are costly to treat escalated to alarming heights. Elective surgeries have longer waiting time, Hospital beds closed, Neo-natal, Emergency rooms and even whole hospitals closed. Now, it is our Nurses who are being penalized, when does all these woe stops?
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