Ontario Health Minister Deb Matthews is the key guest on this week's edition of Focus Ontario, the Global Ontario television show hosted by Queen's Park bureau chief Sean Mallen. (Airs 6:30 pm on Saturday nights)
Mallen taped the interview with Matthews today and reports that, for the first time, she was openly critical of the way the federal government is handling the H1N1 crisis. She told Mallen that she’s spoken to her federal counterpart, Leona Aglukkaq, on more than one occasion but is not happy with the information flow regarding supplies.
“I've stressed to her how important it is that we at the provincial level know how much vaccine we're getting and when we're going to get it, so we can plan. So far we're not seeing that cooperation that we need. I hope that it will be better as time goes on.” Matthews said.
Matthews also tells Mallen that suggestions about vaccine doses sitting in warehouses is not the case in Ontario. She says they’re pumping it out as fast as they get it.
I can report that some of my family members in Thunder Bay, Ont. called to day to say that clinics there have been thrown open to the general public. They are innoculating anyone now on a first-come, first-served basis.