Provincial health authorities have expanded the list of people eligible to receive H1N1 vaccines.

Now included are children over six months but under five years of age and those with chronic health conditions between five and 64. All ages are as of Nov.1, 2009.

Don and Grace Wiebe are residents of the Sandstone Lodge in Okotoks. They are not worried about contracting the H1N1 virus, especially Grace.

“I think it has caused a lot of panic, which I think is too bad. I do think the young ones do need to have the shots, very definitely,” said Grace, 80.

The couple, who have been married for 59 years, get regular flu shots through Sandstone Lodge. They said they would get vaccinated for H1N1 if nurses came to the lodge in the future.

“I don’t see a pandemic. Of course what I think a pandemic would be, would be something like the plague,” said Don, 85, chair of the Sandstone Lodge Residents Association.

While H1N1-related deaths have been tragic, the couple feels people are panicking because of flu-related media coverage.

As of Monday, 39 H1N1 related deaths have been reported in Alberta. In most of these cases, the patients had underlying medical conditions said John Tuckwell, a spokesperson for Alberta Health Services.

“These are people who are normally at risk for influenza,” said Tuckwell.

There have been 124 confirmed cases of H1N1 in southern Alberta.

Next on the provinces’ vaccination list are children over six months but less than five years old with no history of chronic illness. Vaccines have also been sent to municipalities for first responders such as firefighters, police and provincial peace officers.

In the future Tuckwell said Albertans should expect more of the population to become infected but most cases will not but be severe. Every year, 130 to 400 flu-related deaths are reported in Alberta.

“We are actually seeing this as behaving very much like a mild to moderate form of influenza, of the kind we see from year to year,” said Tuckwell.

According to Health Canada 939,000 Albertans have been vaccinated with an adjuvanted version of the vaccines as of Nov. 13.

On Nov. 17 seniors over 75 were added to the list of eligible recipients and Thursday, Nov. 19, everyone over 65 including their spouses can visit H1N1 flu clinics to get vaccinated.

rnorthrop@okotoks.greatwest.ca

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