The following text may have been generated by Optical Character Recognition, with varying degrees of accuracy. Reader beware!

Region's vaccine supply could run out Thursday 3 · OAKVILLE BEAVER Wednesday, November 4, 2009 Let our designers and product selection take you to another place. A WORLD OF INSPIRATION We can transform any space! Continued from page 1 age of the vaccine means that only those most likely to contract the H1N1 virus will be vaccinated this week. Nine clinics were intended to open this week, but the overwhelming demand for the vaccine has resulted in the health department pooling its resources at four main locations. Wait times on Monday were significantly lower than last week. People waited an average of 30 to 90 minutes to get the vaccine on Monday at the four clinics, with a three-hour wait for those who showed up in the first few hours of the Burlington clinic, according to the Region. Wait times are being updated hourly online at www.halton.ca. Close to 6,000 people were vaccinated on Monday, with 1,500 in Oakville, 1,700 in Burlington, 1,400 in Milton and nearly 1,300 in Georgetown. The four H1N1 vaccination clinics operating in Halton for high-risk people as of Tuesday afternoon are: · Burlington: Gary Allan High School - gymnasium, 3250 New St., Wednesday to Friday: noon-8 p.m. · Georgetown: Gellert Community Centre Kinsmen Hall, 10241 Eighth Line, Halton Hills, Wednesday to Friday: noon-8 p.m. · Milton: New Life Church - CYC Black Box Theatre, 824 Thompson Rd. S., Wednesday to Friday: noon-8 p.m. · Oakville: Halton Regional Centre ­ auditorium, 1151 Bronte Road, Wednesday to Friday: noon -8 p.m., Saturday to Sunday: 10 a.m.-4 p.m. The Region had 35,000 doses of the vaccine remaining as of Monday morning. "All this vaccine is for high-priority groups, given that we are in the peak of the outbreak right now," Nosal said. "We need the vaccine in people's arms. Ideally, we would have liked to have gotten the vaccine earlier so we could have protected everybody before we started having the peak." More than 18,000 people were vaccinated in the region last week. Nosal said wait times at the clinic at the Halton Regional Centre in Oakville averaged one to two hours on the weekend, but peaked at four hours at times. The two clinics were each seeing about 2,500 people per day last week, and with four clinics now running, Nosal calculates that doses could run out quickly. He said that since children under 10 only need a half a dose (with the second dose coming 21 days later), more than 35,000 people can be vaccinated. "If every clinic has 2,500 people, that's 10,000 doses per day and that means we could run out by Thursday," said Nosal. "But if we get 6,000 per day, it could last us until Saturday, and that is really the goal." Nosal said the health department will likely get less than 10,000 doses of the vaccine on a yetto-be determined date next week. "We could go through that easily in two days," he said. Certain local doctors, hospitals and long- term care centres have received approximately 19,875 doses of the vaccine to be administered to those at high risk at those locations. Nosal recommends people phone their family doctor to see if they are offering the vaccine. While many people not considered to be in the high-risk category were immunized at the first clinics starting last Wednesday, this practice changed on Saturday at the request of the Province. People were turned away at immunization clinics if they were not high risk. High-risk individuals currently include: · People with chronic medical conditions under age 65 · Pregnant women in their second half of pregnancy · Healthy children from six months to five years of age · Health care workers involved in pandemic response or the delivery of essential health care services · Household contacts and care providers of people in a high priority group who cannot be immunized, such as for infants under six months of age or those who may not respond to vaccines Nosal said health staff is continuing to turn people away who are not in the high-risk groups. "What is happening is that as people join the line, there is someone there to meet them... we ask them if they are in one of the (high-risk) groups, if they are, then they get the vaccine, if they are not, then we tell them we can't immunize them," he said. The national shortage of vaccine comes as pharmaceutical company GlaxoSmithKline is only able to produce 436,000 doses of the H1N1 vaccine this week, instead of the 1.3 to 1.5 million doses expected. This is because one production line at its plant in Ste-Foy, Que. has been dedicated to producing a vaccine without an adjuvant, which will be used to vaccinate women in the first half of their pregnancy. Halton is at the height of its second outbreak of the H1N1 virus. For the second consecutive week, approximately 60 per cent of schools in the region reported a student absenteeism rate of two per cent or higher due to flu-like symptoms on Tuesday. Last week, at least 10 schools per day reported a 10 per cent absenteeism rate. School closures are still not warranted at this time, according to Nosal. The health department is also monitoring the hospitals in the region. There have been 22 hospitalizations since Sept. 1, with approximately half of those confirmed to have H1N1, and the other half suspected to also be ill with the virus, Nosal said. Most of the cases are at the Oakville and Burlington hospitals. There have still been no deaths in Halton to date as a result of the H1N1 virus. Information about H1N1 vaccination clinics can be found online at www.halton.ca or by dialing 311, or calling 905-825-6000, toll free 1-866442-5866 or TTY 905-827-9833. --With files from the Toronto Star Elegance, Stylish, Sophisticated, or Sleek We specialize in importing and distributing unique Ceramics, Porcelain, Travertine, Marble, Glass, Custom Medallions and mosiacs from Around the World. Ask about our Custom Glass Shower Doors & Floor Heating Tile selection made enjoyable! Factory Tile Depot www.factorytiledepot.ca HEARING AID SPECIAL (Clients portion) *Some Conditions Apply * $ From 295 Up to 3 Year Service Warranty 60 DAY GUARANTEE: If after 60 days we have not provided you with the best hearing possible, we will give you your money back... We are an authorized clinic for DVA, WSIB, and Green Shield clients Call 905-827-7333 For a FREE Hearing Test. Age 18+ Hopedale Hearing Clinic In Hopedale Mall, next to the CIBC 1515 Rebecca Street, Unit 38, Oakville · 905-827-7333