680NEWS

Questions about preferential treatment raised about H1N1 vaccine

Jaime Pulfer and 680News staff Toronto 2009-11-04 08:36

Toronto - There is huge backlash in Alberta over the Calgary Flames' players and their families receiving the H1N1 vaccine ahead of cancer patients.

In Toronto, Maple Leafs officials aren't commenting so far on what has been done for their players.

The vaccine is still only available to those considered high-risk, but there are questions being raised about preferential treatment.

Toronto Maple Leafs general manager Brian Burke has not commented if his team has received the vaccine.

"If and when our players get medical treatment, it will be a private matter," he told The Toronto Sun.

In October, the team said it would have sufficient vaccine for players, family and staff as soon as it's needed.

Meanwhile, Toronto City Councillor Michael Thompson is already concerned about Toronto Public Health's flawed H1N1 response.

He told 680News this opens the door for more questions. "It provides us with an opportunity to assess and make some determination as to whether or not the system is working ... obviously it's not working well, and the question is why not? And so how do we improve it? And I think that's really the bottom line," Thompson said.

He called the city's pandemic strategy "troubling, alarming and problematic."

Thompson told 680News he sent a letter to Toronto's medical officer of health asking why the city, which was rocked by SARS years earlier, was unprepared for H1N1.

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