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‘What’s wrong with B.C.?’: Seniors group questions why province isn’t covering cost of new RSV vaccine

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This cold and flu season, the B.C. government has been warning about RSV, a respiratory virus that can be dangerous, especially for high-risk seniors.

That has Ramona Kaptyn, a B.C. advocate with the Canadian Association of Retired Persons, wondering why the province isn’t covering the cost of a new RSV vaccine called Arexvy that has just been approved by Health Canada.

The price tag for British Columbians who choose to pay out of pocket at a pharmacy? $290.

“Why not just give us the free vaccine? We would keep so many people out of emergency rooms. We know what’s happening in emergency rooms, it’s absolutely dreadful,” said Kaptyn, who argues covering the cost of the vaccine would save money in the long run by keeping seniors out of the ER.

Pharmacist Nika Maghsoud agrees. She says many patients coming for flu shots at her North Vancouver Pharmasave ask about the RSV vaccine, but balk at the cost.

“They’re shocked, and some of them just turn away, some of them go away to think about it, never come back,” said Maghsoud.

Doug Beaton, who came to the Pharmasave on Monday for his flu shot, was disappointed when he learned he would have to pay nearly $300.

“I’m sure a lot of people cannot afford that, it would just be too much money,” Beaton said. “The flu shot is free for everybody, but not the RSV shot. So on one hand they’re doing preventative, and on the other hand, they’re not.”

The government of Ontario is the only province that’s covering the new RSV vaccine for everyone 60 and over who’s living in long-term care, and some residents of other seniors facilities.

B.C. Health Minister Adrian Dix said his government is waiting for federal guidance on Arexvy before deciding on coverage.

“The National Advisory Committee on Immunization (NACI) will be making recommendations about its use, and we are likely to follow those recommendations,” said Dix.

But NACI has already recommended the shingles vaccine for everyone 50 and older, and B.C. isn’t covering that either. The two-dose regimen costs $320.

“It just isn’t fair, what’s wrong with B.C.?” said Kaptyn, who believes both the RSV and shingles should be free for seniors.

“I don’t understand why it’s not something that’s being fast-tracked, particularly with the way our health-care system is operating right now. We are in a huge crisis,” Kaptyn said.

“It’s more like preventative medicine, where we can prevent the patients from going to the hospitals. It’s definitely something we should consider when we are looking at how busy our healthcare is these days,” said Maghsoud.

Beaton also believes the province needs to look at the big picture when it comes to health care costs.

“I think paying up front will reduce the back end cost to healthcare. If someone doesn’t go to the hospital because they get the immunization, that’s going to save the government and the system a lot of money,” Beaton said.

The 64-year-old chose not to get his RSV vaccine at his pharmacy visit on Monday, opting to take a pamphlet and think about it first. Maghsoud says most patients who say they will think about it never come back for the shot, adding “They want it, they just can’t afford it.”

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How many Nova Scotians are on the doctor wait-list? Number hit 160,000 in June

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HALIFAX – The Nova Scotia government says it could be months before it reveals how many people are on the wait-list for a family doctor.

The head of the province’s health authority told reporters Wednesday that the government won’t release updated data until the 160,000 people who were on the wait-list in June are contacted to verify whether they still need primary care.

Karen Oldfield said Nova Scotia Health is working on validating the primary care wait-list data before posting new numbers, and that work may take a matter of months. The most recent public wait-list figures are from June 1, when 160,234 people, or about 16 per cent of the population, were on it.

“It’s going to take time to make 160,000 calls,” Oldfield said. “We are not talking weeks, we are talking months.”

The interim CEO and president of Nova Scotia Health said people on the list are being asked where they live, whether they still need a family doctor, and to give an update on their health.

A spokesperson with the province’s Health Department says the government and its health authority are “working hard” to turn the wait-list registry into a useful tool, adding that the data will be shared once it is validated.

Nova Scotia’s NDP are calling on Premier Tim Houston to immediately release statistics on how many people are looking for a family doctor. On Tuesday, the NDP introduced a bill that would require the health minister to make the number public every month.

“It is unacceptable for the list to be more than three months out of date,” NDP Leader Claudia Chender said Tuesday.

Chender said releasing this data regularly is vital so Nova Scotians can track the government’s progress on its main 2021 campaign promise: fixing health care.

The number of people in need of a family doctor has more than doubled between the 2021 summer election campaign and June 2024. Since September 2021 about 300 doctors have been added to the provincial health system, the Health Department said.

“We’ll know if Tim Houston is keeping his 2021 election promise to fix health care when Nova Scotians are attached to primary care,” Chender said.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 11, 2024.

The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.

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Newfoundland and Labrador monitoring rise in whooping cough cases: medical officer

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ST. JOHN’S, N.L. – Newfoundland and Labrador‘s chief medical officer is monitoring the rise of whooping cough infections across the province as cases of the highly contagious disease continue to grow across Canada.

Dr. Janice Fitzgerald says that so far this year, the province has recorded 230 confirmed cases of the vaccine-preventable respiratory tract infection, also known as pertussis.

Late last month, Quebec reported more than 11,000 cases during the same time period, while Ontario counted 470 cases, well above the five-year average of 98. In Quebec, the majority of patients are between the ages of 10 and 14.

Meanwhile, New Brunswick has declared a whooping cough outbreak across the province. A total of 141 cases were reported by last month, exceeding the five-year average of 34.

The disease can lead to severe complications among vulnerable populations including infants, who are at the highest risk of suffering from complications like pneumonia and seizures. Symptoms may start with a runny nose, mild fever and cough, then progress to severe coughing accompanied by a distinctive “whooping” sound during inhalation.

“The public, especially pregnant people and those in close contact with infants, are encouraged to be aware of symptoms related to pertussis and to ensure vaccinations are up to date,” Newfoundland and Labrador’s Health Department said in a statement.

Whooping cough can be treated with antibiotics, but vaccination is the most effective way to control the spread of the disease. As a result, the province has expanded immunization efforts this school year. While booster doses are already offered in Grade 9, the vaccine is now being offered to Grade 8 students as well.

Public health officials say whooping cough is a cyclical disease that increases every two to five or six years.

Meanwhile, New Brunswick’s acting chief medical officer of health expects the current case count to get worse before tapering off.

A rise in whooping cough cases has also been reported in the United States and elsewhere. The Pan American Health Organization issued an alert in July encouraging countries to ramp up their surveillance and vaccination coverage.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 10, 2024.

The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.

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