First-response groups in Calgary should have an answer today from Alberta Health Services regarding its decision to put them next in line for the H1N1 vaccine.
Tom Sampson, deputy chief of Calgary’s Emergency Management Agency, said a meeting between CEMA and Alberta Health will clear up how the vaccine will be administered.
Sampson said it was challenging to determine who the high-risk groups were in the beginning and that is why first-response groups were not a priority.
“Of course we would have never wanted to jump ahead of the line in front of pregnant women or children, for instance, but we would like to be a priority sooner than later.”
Since Nov. 1, several groups have been added, including people aged five to 64 as of Nov. 1 with chronic conditions, and household contacts of those who cannot be immunized, including parents and caregivers.
Also, according to the AHS website, front-line health-care workers are now eligible for the vaccine.
Both the fire and police departments, along with Calgary paramedics, respond to 20,000 calls a year, said Sampson.
