Carol Hughes questions H1N1 preparedness

NEWS RELEASE

CAROL HUGHES, MP ALGOMA-MANITOULIN KAPUSKASING

************************* Hughes questions preparedness to dispense H1N1 vaccine

OTTAWA – (November 5) – Carol Hughes has put blunt questions to the minister of health about Canada's willingness to allocate additional funds to H1N1 vaccination efforts.

The exchange took place during a debate over Canada's response to the H1N1 outbreak.

“With the recent high profile deaths of young, seemingly healthy Canadians the government should have known that there would be a surge in people trying to get vaccination shots,” said Hughes. “It seems that one solution would be to make more money available to get more vaccination clinics up and running.”

H1N1 was debated in the House of Commons yesterday and is also being studied by the Standing Committee on Health that Mrs. Hughes is an associate member of.

She indicated that the health committee has heard that there is a shortage of medical staff that is compounding the problem.

“There are people we could call on to help with the effort. Retired nurses are perfectly capable of giving a needle,” added Hughes. “We have to start thinking a little more creatively to find solutions that will get the public immunized quickly and reduce some of the anxiety we are seeing.”

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