Leona Aglukkaq

[Health, October 20th, 2009]

Mr. Speaker, we are on schedule with the vaccine rollout. As the Chief Public Health Officer has stated, the vaccine will be widely available to all Canadians in early November. We continue to rely on the expert medical advice we receive and we will continue to work with the provinces and territories with a rollout of the vaccine.

[Health, October 19th, 2009]

Mr. Speaker, chief public health officers from this country have been advising all Canadians to take the vaccine for H1N1. The Chief Public Health Officer of Canada and the medical experts have advised us to produce this vaccine for distribution to provinces and territories.

I have confidence in the information I am receiving from the experts, the medical experts, the Chief Public Health Officer of our country, and they should, too.

[Health, October 19th, 2009]

Mr. Speaker, in terms of vaccine rollout, we are on schedule. The Chief Public Health Officer of Canada has stated that the vaccine will be at the hands of the provinces. In fact, this weekend, we started pre-positioning the distribution of those vaccines in all provinces and territories.

Last Monday, we released an information booklet that has since received 60,000 hits. We do weekly press conferences to update Canadians on what we are doing so there is no confusion out there. We are on schedule and we are implementing a pandemic plan for Canada.

[Health, October 9th, 2009]

Mr. Speaker, the Chief Public Health Officer, in collaboration with the provinces and territories, has established the guidelines that will be applied for the H1N1 vaccine. We rely on the expert advice of the medical community in developing the guidelines that will be used to roll out the vaccine when it is produced.

[Health, October 8th, 2009]

Mr. Speaker, we implemented the 2006 pandemic plan, which includes the first nations communities.

In budget 2006, we invested $1 billion to increase our preparedness to respond to the public health issues, such as the flu pandemic, as well as planning for first nations pandemic planning.

I have spoken to Chief Atleo with regard to issues that challenge first nations communities and will continue to work with the first nations communities to address the health issues.

[Health, October 8th, 2009]

Mr. Speaker, we are on schedule with the vaccine. For the last three months we have said that the vaccine will be available the first week in November. The Chief Public Health Officer has advised us, as well as all Canadians, that the vaccine will be available the first week of November.

I do not know why the member cannot understand that. We have been saying the first week of November for the last three months.

[Health, October 7th, 2009]

Mr. Speaker, the story the member is referring to is false. The vaccine that is available in the United States is only available to individuals who are perfectly healthy, and not the vulnerable.

We are on schedule. The Chief Public Health Officer has stated the vaccine for Canada will be available the first week of November. He has been saying this for the past three months.

We rely on the medical experts and we will continue to work with them, as well as the provinces and territories, in the development of the vaccine.

[Health, October 7th, 2009]

Mr. Speaker, I asked my deputy minister to look into the situation and found that the order was disproportionately high compared with other orders in first nations communities.

It was a clear over-estimation but there was no evidence of ill will. Health Canada will introduce stricter controls in the procurement process.

I have been working with Grand Chief Evans of Manitoba on this issue. He and I agree that it is time to move on and focus on the real issues. That is to deal with H1N1 and pandemic planning.

[Health, October 6th, 2009]

Again, Mr. Speaker, the stories are false. We rely on the Chief Public Health Officer of our country and the medical experts for their advice in the development of the vaccine.

I can assure all Canadians that the vaccine we produce for them will be safe and effective.

[Health, October 6th, 2009]

Mr. Speaker, the stories are false. The vaccine will be safe. The Chief Public Health Officer has stated that the vaccine will be widely available the first week of November. We are on schedule.

We will continue to rely on the medical experts' advice and work with the provinces and territories to implement the rollout of the vaccine.