The H1N1 pandemic may be over, but Nova Scotia will continue to offer the vaccine for free this flu season.
The World Health Organization announced yesterday that the world is now in a post-pandemic period. WHO director-general Margaret Chan said that H1N1 has “largely run its course.”
Dr. Gaynor Watson-Creed, spokeswoman for Capital District Health Authority, said Nova Scotia hospitals will continue to offer the H1N1 vaccine as part of the regular vaccination strategy.
Watson-Creed said she wasn’t surprised to hear WHO’s announcement yesterday. “This isn’t surprising to us, because our peak activity in the province of Nova Scotia was before Christmas of 2009,” she said. Watson-Creed said the post-pandemic label does not mean there will be no more cases of H1N1, but this flu season will not be as severe as last year.
