Mr. Speaker, the Minister of Health and Wellness is correct when he says that Albertans should ignore people spreading disinformation about the safety of vaccines. The safe, responsible thing to do is to get immunized as soon as possible for the H1N1 influenza.
This morning about 9:20 I drove past the immunization clinic at Westmount Mall in Edmonton, and was startled to see a line-up that went out the door and stretched way around the outside of the building. Hundreds of people were trying to do just what the Minister has asked --get immunized-- but the organization is clearly not in place for this to succeed. We are already getting phone calls from across the province that the immunization clinics are swamped. We're being told that there are few if any provisions for disabled people; that seniors, pregnant women, children, and others are being expected to stand for hours.
And people are asking why, for all of Calgary in a serious pandemic that has been foreseen for half a year, there are only four immunization clinics. And only five in Edmonton. Nine clinics to urgently immunize two million people won't get the job done.
If this is the best this government can do, it is not good enough. The shortfalls of the immunization campaign are almost certain to lead to a surge in emergency wards and intensive care units. People will become critically ill and some will die because they do not have immunizations, and some of those people, perhaps many of them, will not have immunizations because despite months of preparation time this government could only open nine clinics for two million people.
We have a chance here, if this government acts immediately, to correct this problem. So I urge this administration to act, this afternoon, and order urgent action to expand the immunization program.
Even if the current clinics run 24/7, the flu season may be over before a large proportion of the population is immunized.
Mr. Speaker, my plan for this statement was to join the Minister this afternoon in a simple plea to Albertans to get immunized. But clearly it is not Albertans who need to hear a plea; they are trying to do their duty. It is this government that needs to pay attention.
So while I urge all Albertans to join the long lineups at these immunization clinics, my real plea is to this government: act now, this afternoon, to put in place an immunization program that really works.
