Premier Dalton McGuinty must immediately announce plans to strengthen public communication to ensure organization and order at H1N1 vaccination clinics, Hamilton Centre MPP and Ontario's NDP Leader Andrea Horwath said today.

“The government needs to stand up and demonstrate it has a plan to ensure Ontario families aren’t left to languish in endless lines for a second week,” Horwath said. “Ontarians are fast losing confidence in this government’s ability to handle this critically important public health issue, and we need to see action now.”

The NDP Leader said the government can take immediate, pragmatic steps to ensure Ontario families aren’t again left waiting for hours, in many cases only to be told to go home without receiving the vaccine.

Horwath said the government must:

-Communicate clearly with Ontarians about when they should visit vaccine clinics to avoid long waits and ensure priority groups receive the vaccine first;

-Announce a coordinated communications strategy with all provincial public health units to ensure Ontarians receive a consistent, clear message about when they can receive the vaccine and how long they’ll have to wait;

-Extend clinic hours for priority groups to ensure those who need the vaccine most get it first.

“The recommendations following the SARS crisis could not have been more clear,” Horwath said. “Ontarians expect clear, consistent communication from their government, but they’re still waiting to learn whether this government even has a plan to bring down these waits.”