Alison Lodge wasn’t intending to get her H1N1 vaccination, but the death of a Calgary teen and the impending closure of the city’s clinics made her think twice.
Lodge said the two-hour wait yesterday at the Whitehorn immunization clinic was worth it if it will keep her safe after she learned of 16-year-old Michael Gorbous’ H1N1-related death last week.
“We are here at the last minute because of the death. If he was healthy and he died then it can happen to anyone. So we’re here now, and better late than never,” she said after receiving her vaccine.
Adding the vaccine to their Christmas lists didn’t make most Calgarians happy, but they knew it had to be done, including Claire Matheson.
“It definitely isn’t on my list — this is actually the last thing I want to be doing right now. But I have no choice,” she said.
Today is the last day for the city’s clinics, and in the new year Alberta Health Services will decide the next course of action “based on demand,” according to spokesperson James Finstad.
