Liberals blame the government and health care is maxed out

photo: the Province.com

The Swine Flu pandemic is not looking like an organized response. The vaccine is late and health care workers are stressed out dealing with it.

The scenes on TV at immunization clinics are long lines and frustration. Apparently up to 30% of Island students are home sick or just home.

Yesterday in the House of Commons, Opposition leader Michael Ignatieff landed a few blows on the government. The newspapers are picking up the scent of a government failure in prevention and treatment, according the to headlines.

If the government is not reacting in time, why not? What are they doing?

From observations around the Canada Games in August, most people were in denial that swine flu would happen. There was very little caution in moving people around the country to cross infect each other.

Who knows what to do or believe except remain calm.

GOVERNMENT ‘FAILED MISERABLY’ ON FLU (Chronicle-Herald, November 3, 2009)

URGENCY FROM FEDS STILL LACKING (Globe and Mail, November 3, 2009)
DID CANADA BOTCH THE VACCINE ROLLOUT? (National Post, November 3, 2009)

GELER POUR SE FAIRE VACCINER; CERTAINES PERSONNES ONT ATTENDU HUIT HEURES POUR QUE LEUR ENFANT REÇOIVE SA DOSE DE VACCIN (Le Journal de Montréal, 3 novembre 2009)

H1N1 STILL HAS THE UPPER HAND DUE TO BOTTLENECKS IN THE VACCINE SUPPLY LINE (Vancouver Sun, November 3, 2009)

“From the beginning of the H1N1 pandemic there has been a calm, verging at times on complacency, from federal officials.” (Globe and Mail Editorial, November 3, 2009)

“La campagne de vaccination contre la grippe A (H1N1) sera sans doute enseignée en administration publique comme l’exemple à ne pas suivre en gestion de crise.” (Myriam Ségal, Le Quotidien, 3 novembre 2009)

“If six million Canadians had already received their swine flu immunization – this being a country where polling suggests only about 16 million plan to get the shot – there would be no priority list left to immunize and no 3 a.m. line-ups by stressed-out parents.” (Don Martin, National Post, November 3, 2009)

“As a test of Canada’s ability to handle a truly severe pandemic… [H1N1] has raised serious questions.” (Globe and Mail Editorial, November 3, 2009)

“The feds cling tenaciously to a production claim that six million doses have already been delivered to the provinces… But somewhere between the factory floor and outstretched Canadian arms, a sizable portion of that shipment appears to have gone astray.” (Don Martin, National Post, November 3, 2009)

Quotes from Liberal Party of Canada press release.

I still think more people are going to die from seasonal flu which is the statistical prediction.