General Population Can Line up for H1N1 Shot

Josh Pringle with Anna Drahovzal
Thursday, November 19, 2009

All Ottawa residents can roll up their sleeve and receive the H1N1 flu shot.

Three weeks after the H1N1 clinics initially opened to priority groups, Ottawa Public Health has announced the general public can receive the shot.

Medical Officer of Health Dr. Isra Levy says "for now we've got strong supply, we've still got interest in the community so people who want the supply should come and get it."

Ottawa Public Health received close to 60-thousand doses of the H1N1 vaccine on Tuesday, and expects another 25-thousand doses from the Ontario Government this week.

Levy said "we want to get everyone in the community who wants to be immunized done as quickly as possible over the next week or two."

Both the adjuvanted and the unadjuvanted vaccine will be available at the clinics. The limited supply of unadjuvanted vaccine will be primarily offered to pregnant women and healthy people between the ages of 10 and 64.

A sixth fixed-site H1N1 clinic is opening today at the Barrhaven Crossing Mall on Fallowfield Road. The clinic will be open from 2:30 pm to 8:30 pm on weekdays and from 9 am to 3 pm on weekends.

Wristbands will be distributed at all sites ahead of the opening of the H1N1 vaccination clinics.

A list of the clinics can be checked on the City of Ottawa's website.