Via The Star: Long lineups in the rain at H1N1 clinics. Excerpt:
All of the Toronto flu clinics are going to use a number system to manage the thousands of people turning out today for H1N1 shots.
The clinic at Metro Hall in Toronto started administering the vaccine at 10:17 a.m. and the queue of at least 1,000 people began shuffling forward. Umbrellas snapped out as the rain, on and off since before dawn, came down again.
At Scarborough Civic Centre the clinic opened shortly after noon. Toronto Public Health nurses walked along the line, handing out slips of paper.
"We have nurses assessing people and handing out numbers," said Karen Dowsett, with Public Health. "They will know that they have got a place saved, if you will, and they can leave and grab a coffee or get some food in the mall."
The clinic is staffed by about 20 to 28 nurses and Dowsett said they hope to serve between 150 to 200 an hour, up to 300 if things go smoothly.
By the time the doors opened about 300 to 400 people, many with small children, were waiting in the rain.
The clinic is scheduled to remain open until 7 p.m., but Dowsett said the line might have to be cut off early if more people than expected show up. About 300 people had started lining up there shortly after 5:30 a.m.
"I thought, `Better safe than sorry,'" said Nazir Jamal, 32, who works at movie theatres where he comes into contact with people all the time. He was near the front of the line, spurred by reports of people turned away Thursday at two Toronto vaccination clinics.
"This is insane," said Kathy DaSilva, who arrived at Scarborough close to 10 a.m. to take over a spot her husband had held since 6 a.m. With her was her 10-year-old son Antonio.
"These kids should be in school," said DaSilva gesturing to the long line.
Her son is asthmatic and DaSilva doesn't understand why kids, particularly ones with health issues have not been made a priority.
