A security officer speaks to people at a North York H1N1 vaccination clinic on Oct. 29, 2009.
Demand closes flu vaccine clinics
October 29, 2009
Toronto Public Health has closed both of its H1N1 vaccination clinics to new arrivals because crowds topped 1,000 people at each location by midday.
Public Health closed its North York H1N1 vaccination clinic to new arrivals less than an hour after it opened today when the crowd of anxious people there swelled to more than 1,000.
By 2 p.m., the East York clinic had also closed off its line to newcomers, with at least 1,500 people still waiting. Authorities said they would keep working overtime to ensure all of them were seen.
Both clinics had been scheduled to remain open from noon until 7 p.m. The East York Civic Centre clinic had opened about two hours before its scheduled noon start time.
Although today's clinics were only for priority groups, a manager at the East York Civic Centre clinic said they had been vaccinating everyone waiting in line. "We aren't turning anyone away," said Susan Blue, earlier today.
At 12:40 p.m., Dr. David McKeown, Toronto chief medical officer of health, announced that the North York line was being cut off "as of now." He said there was enough vaccine to innoculate all of the people in line, but no one else would be allowed to join it.
McKeown said an "unprecedented" response to the clinics was spurred in part by the deaths of two otherwise healthy children in the last few days.
Most of the people in the lineups today were from the priority groups — young children and people with pre-exisiting health conditions — for which the two clinics were planned, he said.
"The demand is such that we don't want people to come and wait," said McKeown. "It would be better for them to go to one of the other clinics" scheduled for Friday and the weekend. Clinics for the general public not in the priority groups are scheduled to open on Monday.
"We urge members of the general public to be patient," he said.
The clinic at the East York Civic Centre opened two hours before its scheduled noon start after the number of people waiting there swelled to 400.
But Toronto Public Health wasn't able to open the clinic at the North York Civic Centre earlier, even though dozens of people also gathered there hours before its official start time.
The East York site opened to the general public in the high-risk groups after all of the health care workers who showed up had been innoculated.
"Because we had people waiting here and we're trying to get through as many people as we can, we decided to open it up," said Joanne Cameron, a manager with Toronto Public Health
The North York clinic, where more than 400 people were waiting by 10 a.m., opened as planned at noon.
At East York, a line of 400 people outside snaked around the war monument at 10 a.m. and had doubled by 11 a.m. Inside, another 200 people were waiting for their shots. Most of the crowd were parents with young children and toddlers taking advantage of the time to run and play.
Toronto Public Health estimates its workers vaccinate about 100 people an hour.
"We really appreciate people being patient," Cameron said. "I think everyone understands that we're trying to get through as many people as we can."
The priority groups include children aged 6 months to 5 years, pregnant women and those with chronic illness or disease.
The clinics do not open to the general public until Monday.
In North York, people who had started lining up at 8 a.m. used cellphones to call family members when word spread that it was expected to open before 10 a.m.
Toronto Public Health nurse Kyoko Kennedy saw news footage of lines forming when she awoke this morning. She told The Star: "I'm calling everybody in early. We hope to start earlier than 12." But not quite an hour after announcing an early start, a security guard told the more than 200 people waiting that the opening was back to noon.
The crowd had swelled from 50 to 200 in just 30 minutes before 9 a.m., overflowing the seven dozen chairs set up in front of a Toronto Public Health desk.
Renee, who declined to give her last name, had started organizing an unofficial sign-in sheet for the flu-shot hopefuls. Authorities agreed to honour the 145 names on the list after people objected. The others would have to line up, they said.
"People are lining up because they're afraid of not getting in," she said.
The mother of three and many others were parents holding places in line for their children. Inspired by rumours of people getting turned away, she'd arrived at 8 a.m. prepared to wait for the original scheduled opening of noon for the general public.
Mia, who also declined to give her last name, said she came because her friend sent her a Facebook message last night to report that, in Maple, the line took six and a half hours.
"I'm just happy it's inside and I'm happy there's a list," she said.
Every electrical outlet at the North York centre was in use by children and their parents watching movies on laptops to pass the time.
Security guards went up and down the long line of people, blaming the media for saying the clinic would open early. Reminded of the sign on the door announcing a 9 a.m. start, a guard took the sign down.
Stacie Pollack heard the news on the radio and brought her two children under 5. She was just about to sign into the impromptu registration list when it was cut off, so she scrambled to get into line.
"I just want to get it done," she said.
Many parents who came left when they saw the crowds.
Min Lee was at the back of the line with her 4-year-old son. "I don't know if I'll stay. There are 300 people in front of me and each takes five minutes to get the shot."
Hermie Barquero, who has Lupus disease, came at her husband's urging. "It's a complicated disease. I didn't wnt to take any chances."
To pass the time, the all-ages crowd amused themselves with books, laptops and handheld games at both clinics. People at East York came prepared with food and parents took turns walking with childen.