I read everything, and I mean everything. I read the Globe and Mail, the National Post, CBC, CTV, Toronto Star, Blogging Tories, Liblogs, Macleans, and Progressive Bloggers. I am sure I am missing some out of this list. The point is, I read everything I can get my hands on about politics, policy, and news. I don't just read news sources to reinforce my own view. Occasionally I stumble across idiots, and I take the time to refute them harshly. I have done this to Liblogs, and BloggingTories. Ignorance knows no side.
This afternoon I stumbled across a blathering fool of a blogger on Liblogs. This blogger tries to make a case of incompetence on the part of the Conservative government in relation to their H1N1 vaccination program. A program that has had some issues, but when viewed in the larger context, has been pretty darn successful to date.
Let's view his ramblings point by point, I shall quote him as I go.
Health Minister Aglukkaq ordered 1.8 million doses of unadjuvanted vaccine in September. That order had to be placed to cover off the expected needs of pregnant women, which was forgotten, apparently, when the same Minister got around to placing her original order in August.
The order wasn't forgotten, it wasn't ordered. You see, there is no research that points to adjuvanted vaccines being harmful to either the mother or the fetus. None, zip, zero. Why did we order unadjuvanted vaccines then? Because there is no evidence that it doesn't hurt the mother or the fetus. There hasn't been enough research yet to be medically certain.
It was decided that it was better to err on the side of caution, that being said many pregnant women received the adjuvanted version as they were in the high-risk groups.
The August "order" was among the last placed worldwide.
So what? Placing an order in March for a vaccine that is not ready to be produced is no more efficient. Canada has a contract, we jump the queue, and go to the front of the line in terms of production.
The 1.8 million dose order for non-adjuvanted vaccine then disrupted and delayed GSK's "bottling" of adjuvanted vaccine, which was intended for use in the broader population. This delay caused line ups and general mayhem along the vaccination distribution system as there was a shortage of vaccine, which exists to this day.
At the same time, GSK wasn't able to get the non-adjuvanted product ready quick enough anyway and the government had to order 200,000 doses from another supplier in Australia.
Sigh. When the immunization programme started, cities had thousands and thousands of vaccine doses. The line ups were caused by the sheer fact that you cannot immunize everyone at once. And poor organization at the local level for the vaccination rollout.
For the first few weeks, vaccination clinics were going full bore immunizing the high risk groups. It is only now that there is some shortages due to the interruptions in the production line to make the unadjuvanted version.
Even as late as Oct 24th, barely half of Canadians were planning on getting the shot. Only 30% of Canadians get the seasonal flu shot. Its hard to fault cities and the federal goverment for making plans based on the best available data at the time.
Regarding Australia, would you rather have the government not try and get other supplies?
All the while, mass confusion amongst the health providers and pregnant women as to what really was the advice of the government.
Really? All advice I have heard was consistent.
Rather, these women should get the advanced form of the vaccine that includes a booster to increase immune response, she said.
Last week, the Society of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists of Canada also said all evidence suggests that adjuvanted vaccines are just as safe as non-adjuvanted vaccines. But the preferred version for pregnant women is the non-adjuvanted version because there hasn't been a lot of research on the use of the adjuvant in pregnancy.
Now we hear that Aglukkaq has approved the non-adjuvanted GSK product for use by everybody. Another day...another change in plan...this ordering fiasco and not realising GSK bottling challenges is something that needs a thorough review when this is all over.
She has approved the vaccination for everyone as the non-adjuvanted vaccine has been available for sometime now, and they likely figure everyone who was going to get the non-adjuvanted one has already. They ordered more then what was needed. There are not 1.8 million pregnant women in Canada.
There has been a definite glossing over of the truth along the way. It was in September that the mantra began: “In Canada, we are lucky that the issue is not whether we will have enough vaccine for everyone who needs it, but how quickly we can immunize everyone,” said Dr. Butler-Jones, Canada’s Chief Public Health Officer. While the Health Minister intoned her now all too familiar, “The Government of Canada will ensure that all Canadians who need and want the H1N1 vaccine will get it.” Aglukkaq's Butler-Jones laying tracks so that the provinces can be blamed for the failure in distribution that they new was coming. At the same time, a Minister providing an assurance bereft of any time frame against which to apply future accountability and responsibility. Typical.
You cannot immunize 33 million people at once. Over 50 million doses of vaccine was ordered, many more millions will be immunized by Christmas. The line ups (in my community anyway) were not very long after the initial rush.
Neither of these comments reflected what these officials could and should (and maybe did) know about GSK packaging shortcomings.
Yes, the one legitimate point, they should not have interrupted the the production of the adjuvanted vaccine. But that is the benefit of hindsight. Easy to see the errors.
Now lets look at the big picture.
- Canada has rolled out more vaccine per capita then any other country in the world.
- Canada has rolled out more the twice the vaccine per capita then the US
- A pandemic of fear was caused by the deaths of two young children that caused long line ups
- The perception of scandal is more media (and Liberal) generated then a reflection of widespread unease
- Nearly 2/3s of Canadians think the Government has done a fair job.
- Canada has produced about 8.5 million doses of the vaccine.
See the big picture. It is disgusting that the Liberals are trying to politicize this issue, even as their MPs try to hysterically jump the queue. I am looking at you Hedy Fry!
Might I suggest fist bumping Hedy?
6 comments:
RAR, I agree with you 100%. There is no good argument painting the Conservatives as guilty of wrongdoing in this respect. But it's all great propaganda for the uninformed - Liberal supporters.
Now, what are we going to do about Hedy? I heard Ice floes work wonders for getting rid of people who are of no use to society...
The time has come that I explain the liberal mind. It is simply mind over matter that is it. They see themselves as humanist creators and their goal is a perfected human on a perfected earth free of the restrictions of the laws of the universe. They become their own gods. I think that most conservatives believe that there are other forces to be respected. (real conservative)
Too many people don't read enough to understand, and place into context what they are reading. Its too bad really.
Who cares. Now the MSM is switching tactics and running stories about how this whole swine flu panic was nothing but an overblown exercise in fear mongering.
The panic pandering press is finally running stories that mimic many of the comments made on the Blogging Tories website. This so-called pandemic is less dangerous, sickens less people, and kills less people than seasonal flu.
If the WHO hadn't changed the definition of pandemic so as to garner more attention and more funding, this whole thing would have been a non-issue. They screwed up on West Nile, bird flu, and now swine flu. These bureaucrats at the U.N. would do better to keep their mouths firmly shut until they find someone who knows what they're talking about.
you think it's normal to go wait in line at 4 AM for a coupon!???! or even better camping out overnight?
the CONS fucked up. period.
Anon, define normal. I know many people who line up in the middle of the night for the latest iPhone, gaming console, or concert tickets.
Again, the lineups are not the fault of the feds. They are the fault of the municiple level health units and their role out. Same health units were very smart, and were able to role out their vaccines without lineups. If I am not mistaken, some of the articles linked to in the post talk about some of them.
The Federal Government is responsible for ordering the vaccine, and distributing to the provinces. The provinces distribute to the city, and provide the guidelines. Muncipalities stick the needle in the arms. They are the pointy end of the needle so to speak.
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