Ontario to investigate athletes’ swine flu shots

Nov 5, 7:54 pm EST

TORONTO (AP)—Ontario health minister Deb Matthews vowed Thursday to investigate whether Toronto’s NBA and NHL players jumped the line for the swine flu shot while other groups are being forced to wait as the province’s supply dwindles.

Matthews said she shares the outrage sparked by reports that Maple Leafs and Raptors players got the shot even though the province doesn’t have enough yet to vaccinate school-age children.

“I don’t care who you are, how rich you are, how famous you are,” she said. “If you’re not in the priority group, get out of the line and let the people who are in the priority groups get their vaccination.”

Matthews expects Ontario to run out of the regular H1N1 vaccine at the end of the week due to Ottawa’s dramatic supply slowdown.

The province has enough vaccine to immunize 2.2 million people, which is intended only for the estimated 3.4 million Ontarians who fall under the province’s high-priority groups, she said.

They include pregnant women, children between 6 months and 5 years of age, people who care for infants and other people who can’t get the vaccine, people under the age of 65 with chronic conditions and those living in remote communities. The government wants to add school-age children as a priority group, but Matthews said it doesn’t have enough vaccine.

She doesn’t yet know how the Maple Leafs and Raptors players got the shot.

A health employee in Alberta was fired after letting the Calgary Flames jump the swine flu shot line.

Updated Nov 5, 7:54 pm EST
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12 Comments

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  1. GM is Great
    12. Posted by GM is Great Sat Nov 7 4:43pm EST

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    I have no probs with the swine flu or the laffs. I don't go out and I can watch the Maple laffs lose on TV. Talk out beating the flu and beating the Laffs at the same time, Got'er good for another 42 years LOLOLOLOLOLOL.
  2. rare45s
    11. Posted by rare45s Fri Nov 6 8:54pm EST

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    cathy your like a female Dice Clay! Your Great!
  3. cathypare65
    10. Posted by cathypare65 Fri Nov 6 9:47am EST

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    @ post #9 John B,great point . But the Laffs need every and any advantage,such as extra power plays,whining commentators and fans, etc. etc.Besides this swine flu is nothing special to Fat Assman,to him and his gendre its just" the flu".
  4. JOHN B
    9. Posted by JOHN B Fri Nov 6 9:20am EST

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    why don't the maple leafs all stay home to help stop the spread of the flu.they could just mail the points to the other teams since they can't win anyway
  5. B B
    8. Posted by B B Fri Nov 6 8:30am EST

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    wait, the Leafs took a shot???

    i wonder how many times the needle was bounced around and flubbed before anyone took one
  6. Fred
    7. Posted by Fred Thu Nov 5 9:49pm EST

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    If I may interject my opinion....

    #1) I think the Swine Flu is the biggest sham to spread around the world since McDonald's Monopoly game. Every year they come out with some no virus to scare the bejesus out of everyone. Worldwide the number of deaths have been about 5,000 so far. I'd be willing to bet significantly more people die in car accidents yearly. Let's just face it, YOU ARE GOING TO DIE one day or another.

    #2) Back to hockey. The players and other athletes should be up there on the list because sports are big business. If a team such as the Maple Leafs all get the swine flu they can't just call up the Marlies and use them. They'd have to cancel games. Canceling games means the arena workers go x-amount of days without a paycheck. They have to pay to disinfect the arena and any other common areas which the team (and perhaps visiting teams) use. You can't have the players making direct contact with the fans. And if a whole team gets sick then they'd be tying up hospital beds that could be used for people with real emergencies.
  7. Shawn
    6. Posted by Shawn Thu Nov 5 9:44pm EST

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    Um well obviously the Ministry of Health gave it to them, so it doesn't reflect very well on this woman to say "I don't know how they got the shots". You gave it to them crazy lady, so enough with the phony outrage. Some poor low paid scapegoal will get fired for it just like in Calgary I bet.
  8. Priest H
    5. Posted by Priest H Thu Nov 5 9:17pm EST

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    It is unreal how blown out of proportion this issue is. Enough vaccine to immunize 2.2 million people and they are worried about 40 high-profile athletes! This is just a different strand of the flu - every year, people fall victim to it. The media has just done an extraordinary job of creating panic and chaos. The pharmaceutical companies that have created the vaccine should be investigated. The fact that these pro sports teams were able to 'buy' their own supply clearly illustrates their corruptive nature. It will be interesting to see how much this flu season will cost the government - vaccines, lost work days, overtime/overstaffed hospitals ... and now investigations! Someone needs to pay and it shouldn't be the taxpayers! Someone is clearly getting rich off this.
  9. <i>aminsundin</i>
    4. Posted by aminsundin Thu Nov 5 8:47pm EST

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    There are 2.2 million shots available in the province. Lets whine about the 100 or so that are given out to the athletes who pay millions of dollars in taxes which help pay for the shots in the first place for other people...
  10. St. Copius de Bronze Trophies...
    3. Posted by St. Copius de Bronze Trophies... Thu Nov 5 8:22pm EST

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    Good thing there's no other crimes in Canada...
  11. Mike T
    2. Posted by Mike T Thu Nov 5 8:13pm EST

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    The reason the Leafs got the shot is because the Marlies had it going around. When they called up Tlusty, concern was raised that he might spread it to the Leafs dressing room. Which is why they felt it was necessary to get. Fair or not.
  12. Vincent L
    1. Posted by Vincent L Thu Nov 5 8:09pm EST

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    there must be a real good reason as to why these players were given the shot.

    But, whatever, the politician needs to stop throwing a hissy fit.
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