AHS inquiry reviews Flames access to H1N1 flu shot

The team doctor for the Calgary Flames answered questions on alleged health care queue jumping at an AHS inquiry on January 11, 2013

An inquiry into allegations of queue jumping in the Alberta Health Care system continued on Friday with the doctor of the Calgary Flames fielding questions on the team’s priority access to the H1N1 flu shot in 2009.

Flames players and their families were provided with access to the shots at a time when Alberta was experiencing a shortage of the immunization caused by an increase in demand.

Dr. Jim Thorne, the doctor for the NHL team, said the vaccinations held at a private clinic were necessary to ensure the security and privacy of the players.

Thorne says Alberta Health Services offered the Flames preferential access to the immunizations, an offer the team would have refused if they knew of the vaccine shortage.

The Flames received their immunization on October 30, 2009, the same day Alberta Health Services stopped offering the shots to the general public because of a shortage of the vaccine.