House to debate H1N1 again

OTTAWA– The House of Commons will debate the swine flu pandemic again today as the Liberals are putting forward an opposition motion calling for increased resources for responding to the outbreak.

“We think we want to use the debate (on this motion) to make it clear that this is a government that doesn’t want to govern, that doesn’t want to inform, that doesn’t want to lead, that doesn’t want to prepare and the prime minister in particular has just been missing in action,” Liberal Leader Michael Ignatieff told reporters after emerging from his party’s weekly caucus meeting.

The federal government has been reassuring Canadians for months that there would be enough H1N1 vaccine for everyone and still expects to make good on that promise in time for the holidays, but thousands are frustrated by long line-ups at flu clinics and a disruption in the supply line that led to reduced shipments this week.

The motion, which is being put forward by Liberal MP Carolyn Bennett (St. Paul’s), calls on the federal government to spread more wealth to the provinces and territories to help reduce the line-ups and speed up how many people get shots in their arms.

“Provincial and local health authorities and health care workers should receive the maximum possible support from the federal government in handling the H1N1 flu pandemic and related vaccination efforts,” says the motion to be put forward at 3:30 p.m. and debated until 5:15 p.m.

“The Government of Canada should therefore immediately: (a) allocate the full $400 million set aside for pandemic response in the 2006 budget to support additional medical staff for vaccinations and patient care; (b) increase support for emergency planning to help local health authorities cope with long line-ups and shortages of both vaccines and health care workers; and (c) divert the money now being spent on needless, partisan advertising of government budgetary measures to a new public awareness campaign to keep Canadians informed with essential up-to-date information throughout the pandemic,” the motion continues.

The Liberals have also been highlighting that Canada waited until August to order 50.4 million doses of H1N1 vaccine from GlaxoSmithKline Inc., which inherited a 10-year contract signed in 2001 to produce enough vaccine for the entire population at its plant in Ste-Foy, Que.

“We feel very strongly it is just incomprehensive why 35 countries bought their vaccine, secured their vaccine, before Canada did,” Ignatieff told reporters.

Federal officials have stressed that despite not having placed the order until August – which was actually because the Public Health Agency of Canada was waiting to hear back from provinces and territories, chief medical officers and its advisory group – and the long line-ups, Canada now has more vaccine per capita than any other country in the world. – Healthzone.ca