Canadian flu shots for pregnant women not OK'd yet
Last Updated: Monday, November 9, 2009 6:21 PM ET Comments65Recommend26
The Canadian Press
The made-in-Canada swine flu vaccine that's intended for pregnant women won't be going into arms anytime soon because Ottawa hasn't approved it yet, Ontario health officials said Monday.
Pregnant women can still get the Australian-made H1N1 shot that doesn't contain an adjuvant, an additive that boosts the immune system's response, said Dr. Arlene King, Ontario's chief medical officer of health.
"The 86,800 [doses] that we got last week is being used right now in pregnant women as we speak," she said in an interview with The Canadian Press.
The 1.8 million doses ordered from GlaxoSmithKline and made in Quebec is "embargoed for use until Health Canada approves it," she added.
Ottawa is expected to approve the vaccine later this week, said King. Until then, pregnant women can still get the Australian-made shot.
King said Ontario will receive a shipment late Monday from the federal government that's expected to replenish its vaccine supplies.
"The supply that we're going to be having this week is going to be quite limited," King said. "That being said, we will over the course of the week, be deciding to whom we will be able to offer the product we have right now and that we're expecting this week and next."
It includes 395,000 doses of the adjuvanted vaccine and 375,000 doses of the not-yet-approved unadjuvanted vaccine from GlaxoSmithKline.
Both vaccines will be packaged Tuesday and shipped to the province's public health units Wednesday, said ministry spokesman David Jensen.
