Swine Flu/H1N1 Vaccination - Yes or No?

[intarsiabox]

Originally Posted by midgetwaiter

That's not really fair, when the clinic setup for the Flames was done the gov was still in free for all mode, I don't think they realized what was going to happen. The Flames have been pretty up front about this whole thing, they felt having all the players go to a public clinic would have been a circus so they approached AHS. That's a pretty understandable thing IMO. It doesn't make sense to send somebody out to vaccinate 30 guys so they took care of as many people as they could while they were there. The Flames are no more at fault for shortages than anyone else who has already received the vaccination.

The failure here was the way AHS setup the vaccination program from the beginning. Alberta is the only province that failed to prioritize high risk groups, this seriously magnified the problems. When they did decide to setup a schedule they misprinted the age of children allowed access in the first run of the newspaper ads.

It pretty much renders the discussion we are having moot for Albertans. It goes from "will you get the shot" to "can you get the shot".

I'm glad you think that rich people deserve better treatment than you. Next time your in the emergency ward in pain and waiting for 12 hours and a hockey player walks right in because he broke a finger in a fight just remember that you're OK with it because he's famous and you're not.

[midgetwaiter]

Originally Posted by intarsiabox

I'm glad you think that rich people deserve better treatment than you. Next time your in the emergency ward in pain and waiting for 12 hours and a hockey player walks right in because he broke a finger in a fight just remember that you're OK with it because he's famous and you're not.

I didn't say it was right. what I was getting at is that AHS made the mistake not the Flames.

[Myka]

Originally Posted by midgetwaiter

That's not really fair, when the clinic setup for the Flames was done the gov was still in free for all mode...Alberta is the only province that failed to prioritize high risk groups

Really? I didn't know that. I thought everyone was prioritized.

I know that me having asthma puts me on the high risk priority list and I was supposed to be able to get my vaccine this past Monday (in SK), but due to the shortage they changed the priority list to only include children under 5 and women pregnant for 20 weeks or more. It sounds like the plan is to include more high risk people in each consecutive week.

[intarsiabox]

Originally Posted by Myka

Really? I didn't know that. I thought everyone was prioritized.

I know that me having asthma puts me on the high risk priority list and I was supposed to be able to get my vaccine this past Monday (in SK), but due to the shortage they changed the priority list to only include children under 5 and women pregnant for 20 weeks or more. It sounds like the plan is to include more high risk people in each consecutive week.

Yeah, Alberta dropped the ball and figured that the 50 million shots that Canada ordered would just magically materialize out of thin air all at once. People aren't mad that the Flames and their famillies got the shot, it's the fact that they jumped the queue by not having to wait in 4-6 hour line ups like every other Albertan. Small kids, pregnant women, chronic illness suffers were all out there standing in the cold but healthy young atheletes are better than these people and don't have to? Calgary Stampeders, Eskimos, etc have had to wait in line if they wanted the shot, Oilers said they're waiting until those that need it get the shot first before they do.(I'll admit the last one is all for publicity)

[intarsiabox]

Originally Posted by midgetwaiter

That's a pretty understandable thing IMO. It doesn't make sense to send somebody out to vaccinate 30 guys so they took care of as many people as they could while they were there.

I guess what you wrote and what you meant weren't the same thing, because to me it sounds like you approve of them getting a private doctor to vaccinate 30 players plus their families. I know people in the health care system as well but I didn't ask them to put me and my family ahead of everyone else and from what I've read none of the other sports teams have either.

[midgetwaiter]

Originally Posted by intarsiabox

I guess what you wrote and what you meant weren't the same thing, because to me it sounds like you approve of them getting a private doctor to vaccinate 30 players plus their families.

Yeah I absolutely do. What do you think would have happened if those 30 players went and lined up at some random Calgary clinic? Media circus, autograph line, a huge disruption in an already messed up situation. The Flames front office knew this because they deal with it every day so they phoned AHS to see if they could avoid said circus, it being in everyone's interest to do so.

Now if you're going to send somebody out to do 30 vaccinations it's not going to take a lot more time or energy to do 100. Planning is the same, travel is the same, etc. They may as well get as much done as they can.

Both of these points are perfectly reasonable in a situation where the vaccine was available to everyone and there were no supply issues. Turns out that wasn't the case and going ahead with the clinic for the Flames was a bad idea because of it. The point I'm trying to make is that the Flames are not the guys in charge of deciding if the supply is available, that's Alberta Health Services and that's who screwed up.

[FitoPharmer]

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[intarsiabox]

Originally Posted by midgetwaiter

Yeah I absolutely do. What do you think would have happened if those 30 players went and lined up at some random Calgary clinic? Media circus, autograph line, a huge disruption in an already messed up situation. The Flames front office knew this because they deal with it every day so they phoned AHS to see if they could avoid said circus, it being in everyone's interest to do so.

Now if you're going to send somebody out to do 30 vaccinations it's not going to take a lot more time or energy to do 100. Planning is the same, travel is the same, etc. They may as well get as much done as they can.

Both of these points are perfectly reasonable in a situation where the vaccine was available to everyone and there were no supply issues. Turns out that wasn't the case and going ahead with the clinic for the Flames was a bad idea because of it. The point I'm trying to make is that the Flames are not the guys in charge of deciding if the supply is available, that's Alberta Health Services and that's who screwed up.

So first you say it's not right, now you say it is? A Flames manager contacted somebody he knew in AHS not the other way around, that is why people are getting fired because it was snuck through the AHS. Do think these guys hide in their house all day with the blinds closed or something. No other team got special treatment and had a clinic open up for just them, other players and their families had to wait in line like everyone else. Only the Flames would cause a media circus but no other team? That's just a poor excuse to justify themselves. I guess if you feel others deserve better treatment than you, then you have every right to your opinion. Most Albertans and people all across Canada are pretty upset that so few clinics are available to the public but one gets opened up to serve a single group just so they wouldn't have to stand in line in the cold like all the young children, pregnant women and cronically ill do. It's funny how these people can all stand in line but a bunch of healthy atheletes can't, that's just sad IMO. Nobody is complaining that the Flames got the vaccine or caused a shortage, it is how they got it. If people don't speak up now it will always be tolerated and the general public will continue to pay the extra costs so the rich and famous get preferential treatment. I'll admit that it really boils down to one flames manager and one or two people in AHS but it really makes both entire parties look bad.