Health

Calgary Flames Skip The Line-ups To Get H1N1 Shots

by Yuliya Talmazan | November 3, 2009 at 03:49 pm

442 views | 2 Recommendations | 4 comments

Calgary Flames, a Canadian hockey team, skipped the line-ups and got their H1N1 shots despite Health Canada's warning that only persons with elevated risk of infection can get the vaccine in the next couple of weeks due to shortages. The players received their vaccinations a day before clinics were temporarily shut down and reopened later for people with high-risk status throughout the province. Team fans and other Albertans voiced their discontent with the exclusive access to the vaccine that was given to the team. Flames CEO said today the team would not have gotten vaccinated if the administration knew that the vaccine would eventually be in short supply.

However, Flames obtained the vaccine without the line-ups that some of the average Albertans had to endure. It is believed that players' family member also got the shots.

Alberta health minister said vaccine could only be diverted to the team with a special approval from the chief medical officer of health, but it is not clear if that approval was actually granted.

Alberta's opposition parties say professional hockey players shouldn't be getting the vaccine ahead of cancer patients and pregnant women.

Calgary Flames responded saying players should receive the vaccination "given the risks associated with frequent physical contact, extreme exertion and onerous domestic and cross border travel."

Consequently, on Friday our players were vaccinated at an off-site clinic within the public system and under the direction of Alberta Health Services.

The prudence of this approach has and will come under close scrutiny due to the controversial nature of the flu pandemic and the recently-announced change to the vaccination protocol and move to a full priority-based distribution system.

Our players did not seek to either avoid line-ups or get special attention.

They followed the direction of our medical staff and our organization.

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suzanne donnelly (not verified)

at 19:02 on November 3rd, 2009

I am really angry in regards to this. The Flames i believe were being incredibly selfish by taking the H1N1 shot which is meant to be given to the people who are really in need of getting it. As well their families got it too not fair!There is not enough to go around for the people who are at extreme high risk. I am one of them i have asthma, if i get H1N1 it could make me considerably ill very quickly or worse.Why should peploe who think they are better then others get first class treatment while the others that need it get screwed . the government needs to step in and really think this time.

LSB (not verified)

at 22:17 on November 4th, 2009

Just another example of a group who feel they are of special privilege, getting what they want. Did the players get together and approach their managers (the Organization) requesting/demanding that "the organization" do something about getting them the flu shot outside the regular public access?? Did" the organization" then say we will see what we can do? Did the head of "the organization" then contact AHS and pressure someone to give them the vaccine? A AHS employee has been fired, so obviously that employee knew they were doing something they were not allowed to do. Just a few questions that it would be interesting to see the answers. The best way for the public to vote on this issue is with a show of empty/full seats come game time.

flamessuckazz (not verified)

at 23:59 on November 4th, 2009

The calgary flames are a bunch of fu(&!ng selfish b@$tards... they might as well have kicked preggo women in the gut and thrown babies into the street in their mad panic to scoop up their H1N1 Vaccine before they ran out... Even if it was allowed and you were told to get it, if you are a healthy low risk person you should have the balls to say, let the people who NEED it get it first. Funny how the rich millionaire b!tch hockey players grab it up but the Stampeders said they would wait their turn... Fu(% the flames and their whole organization... all last week they were saying they were goign to run low... and how even Firefighters and Cops etc.. couldn't jump the line and get it and had to wait in line... so what do the a$$h0le flames do?? tell everyone to go fu(& themselves and cut some deal and kick everyone aside. Here's hoping the flames get that neurological disease from the vaccine and preferrably die... Oh yeah and I am a born and raised Calgarian... I just hate bitchass hockey players like these pricks who feel they are more imporatnt than everyone else

noogiemon (not verified)

at 00:11 on November 5th, 2009

I heard they were running low all last week and that they probably would run low... the lines were hours long, firefighters, paramedics, cops and everyone else have to wait in line, so what do these hockey pri(ks do... cut some deal and con job a bunch of vaccine that high risk people could use. Granted the whole thing imunization thing has been handled poorly from the start, but why are these spoiled whiner millionaires any more important than anyone else? I don't see the stampeders kicking pregnant women, babies and other high risk people aside Is some jerk0ff hockeyplayer more important than a firefighter, what happens if 10% of firefigters get sick? people will die because of a shortage of firefighters... what happens if the flaming ba$stards get sick? Nothing... a few fans are sad because the flamers lost a game.. .whaaah! I'm a Calgarian too, born here even, and I hate these flaming whiners more and more every year with their entitled attitude. They do photo op short face shows occasionaly... it is like a job for them.. they do it because they have to and couldn p1ss on the rest of the public all the other time, the Stampeders on the otherhand do their charity work because they want to for the most part, they stay longer and are decent human beings to talk to.. not some spoiled rich baby who thinks they are too good to be a person like everyone else. The flames can go to hell.... and here's hoping they got a bad batch of vaccine and all develop Dystonia like that cheeleader chick did down in the USA