A7

By ADAM BOWIE
bowie.adam@dailygleaner.com

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New Brunswick health officials say they're making progress with the largest vaccination program in provincial history, which may allow healthy citizens to access the shot in the next few weeks.

Dr. Eilish Cleary, chief medical officer of health, said that if the province's H1N1 vaccine supply stays consistent, it's possible that clinics will be opened to the average New Brunswicker by the end of this month or early December.

Medical professionals are trying to protect as many citizens as possible with chronic illnesses - especially those with serious lung conditions.

"We are hopeful that over the next week, or two weeks that we will be able to get to all of those in the priority groups who want vaccine," Cleary said.

"After that, we are hopeful, and again this is dependant on our supply, that starting the 30th of November, or the week after that, we will be able to make vaccine accessible to all New Brunswickers."

More than 150,000 residents have rolled up their sleeve as part of the H1N1 vaccination program.

Cleary said about 60 per cent of children between six months and five years of age have been vaccinated; about 75 per cent of elementary school children have been protected; and about 40 per cent of all high school students have received the shot.

"They're really focusing this week to get those (target groups) completed, so I think that will bring those up considerably," she said.

At least 55 per cent of the province's pregnant women have received the vaccine.

She said the campaign to protect aboriginal residents has been successful, with every First Nations community in the province having hosted a public clinic.

"They were very successful. We've had reports of coverage varying between 80-90 per cent for some communities," she said.

And almost every health-care worker in the province that wanted the shot has been protected.

"We've had reports from some medical units that they've had uptakes of 95 per cent," she said.

Cleary said 112 people have been hospitalized with the pandemic flu since the virus began making the rounds, with 10 of those cases severe enough to require a stay in an intensive-care unit.

"Approximately 56 per cent of the hospitalizations have been in people less than 20 years of age, although the majority of ICU admissions have been in people over 30," she said.

Most of the province's serious H1N1 cases have involved people with pre-existing conditions, although about 25 per cent of all Canadians who have experienced serious outcomes had been healthy.

She said New Brunswick will get at least 49,000 doses next week, which should help the effort to slow the spread of the virus.

"I think the fact that we've got a fair proportion of our population vaccinated, and hope to get more vaccinated in the next couple of weeks, will really have a major impact on the further spread," she said.

"I think we're in a fairly good position."