---- Public access to flu shots not available in Aylmer and Hull
Jordan Gowling
When the province begins its flu vaccination campaign on November 1, residents of Aylmer and Hull may be disappointed to find out that the vaccine is currently not publically available at the CLSC LeGuerrier in Aylmer or at the CLSC Saint-Rédempteur in Hull, according to Liberal MNA André Fortin.
The Centre intégré de santé et de services sociaux de l'Outaouais (CISSO) offers free flu shots every year during flu season to the most vulnerable citizens. In order to be eligible for public access, a person must either suffer a chronic disease, be aged 75 or older, work in health care, live in a household with a child under six months of age or be pregnant. Yet this year Aylmer and Hull residents cannot access the government provided flu shot at their local CLSCs, says Fortin. “For half the City of Gatineau, there is no flu shot available through the government,” he said, after receiving several complaints from his constituents. “This is a first; there have always been flu shots available at the CLSC LeGuerrier and in Hull at their CLSC. For some reason this year, the government has not yet offered any flu shots to our sector’s population.”
Demand for the flu shot is high this year, given that citizens must make sure they don’t have any flu-like symptoms that would require a prolonged absence of work or a COVID-19 test. Booking for free flu shots became available on October 15 and starting November 1, the service is available at the Chelsea CLSC, the Clinique de vaccination alternative in Gatineau, the Cantley CSLC and the Centre Communautaire in Luskville. “You can’t have a population of this size […] with no public access to the flu shot,” said Fortin. “This is something that vulnerable populations such as seniors need, there’s a reason the government makes it free for those citizens who are most at risk and not having it locally just makes them more at risk.” Fortin reached out to CISSO and the reason given for an absence of service was the lack of available spaces to set up an interim clinic. Fortin thinks this explanation is dubious and says there are a number of community centres available right now that could be used to administer the vaccine.
CISSO says the COVID-19 pandemic has made it difficult this year to provide the vaccination service and is aware that Western Gatineau currently has no local access. Aylmer or Hull residents, who try to book the service at other locations in the region, may be faced with a dwindling number of available appointments, according to CISSO’s booking website, clicsante.ca.
CISSO says it is aware of lack of service in Aylmer and Hull, and says the organization is working on the possibility of setting up a clinic in the sector soon. “The government has a responsibility to ensure that the flu vaccine would be more available this year,” said Fortin. “More and more citizens are concerned about potentially having symptoms that resemble COVID and this puts a limitation on their access to school, their access to work and access to their normal activities. So government had a responsibility to make sure it was more accessible and so far this year it appears even less so.”
