Tories demand McGuinty fix vaccine lineup ‘mess’

The Opposition says Premier Dalton McGuinty must get involved immediately to get the H1N1 vaccination program back on track.

Progressive Conservative Leader Tim Hudak says everyone is disturbed by images of pregnant women and young children being forced to line up outside for hours.

Hudak says McGuinty must “fix this mess” so people who actually need the shot don’t lose confidence in the system or simply balk at the long lines.

He says the power of the premier’s office can help get whatever resources are needed before the situation gets even worse.

Hudak says the government should call out retired nurses and doctors to help administer the H1N1 vaccines, extend clinic hours and open more clinics in schools and workplaces.

Hundreds of people who lined up in Toronto today were given slips of paper with a time on it so they could return for their vaccination without standing around for hours on end.

Officials are trying to avoid a repeat of Thursday, when thousands of people lined up at two clinics in Toronto – some for six hours or more – and many were turned away without getting a shot.

People lined up more than four hours early today at Metro Hall – one of two clinics open in Toronto – and the line quickly grew into the hundreds, snaking around the building.

Toronto Public Health officials say they are hoping to inoculate 300 people an hour for a total of 2,100 people at Metro Hall today.

Meanwhile Dr. Barbara Yaffe, Toronto’s Acting Medical Officer of Health, says 500 of about 4,000 family doctors in the city contacted Toronto Public Health to say they were willing to give the H1N1 vaccine at their clinics.

But Yaffe says there’s only enough vaccine for about 100 family doctors to give it out. – Healthzone.ca