H1N1 mass immunization starts next Monday in some parts of the Greater Toronto Area (GTA). This week the ‘high-risk’ group stood in long lines to get be vaccinated against the H1N1 virus. H1N1 clinics were set-up all over the GTA the results were having people lined up for hours. Some as long as eight. The clinics hours run from noon until 7 pm. People have been lining up infront of clinics as early at 3 am. One woman yesterday got to the clinic at 9 am and had been given the number 275, that was the amount of people ahead of her. The clinic still had three hours before opening.
These are the wait times for high risk people including, healthcare workers, pregnant women, people with asthma, etc. Imagine what the clinic waits are going to be next week when the mass immunizations begin. I live in a city with a population of around 200,000. We have one location open as a clinic on Monday, two on Tuesday and beyond. It will be crazy without a doubt and of course being Canadian I have to hope when I stand there for 6 hours or more with my children it isn’t raining, or God forbid snowing!
Telehealth Ontario, the call-in health service provided by the Ministry of Health has been deemed useless currently due to an extremely high volume of calls. The average wait to get a human voice on Telehealth Ontario is now approximately 11 hours. No that is not an error, 11 hours.
This whole immunization clinic mess reminds me of waiting for concert tickets. Helpful hint, bring your lawn chairs and a book while you wait. I plan on getting my family immunized next week and I know I will have a lot to say about that subject. I can’t imagine my kids waiting that long, I already have a headache thinking about it!
