Region braces for influenza season on the North Shore Anna Marie D'Angelo News Reporter adaugelo@nsnews.com DR. Brian O’Connor anticipates that not too many health-care workers will duck when being shot this fall. O'Connor, the North Shore Health Region's medical health ofticer, said a massive flu shot program for health-care workers will hopefully decrease the likelihood of a fu outbreak at Lions Gate Hospital (LGH) or any of the North Shore care facilities. According to the North Shore Health Region (NSHR), 3,700 health-care workers plus 280 doctors and 850 volunteers work in health care in the region. “Health-care workers often carry (the flu) into the institu- tion and often carry it from institution to institution and can be largely responsible for the outbreaks we do see in the literature,” said O’Connor. b g'Connor said some people in hospitals die during flu out- reaks. NSHR spokesman Clay Adams said health region adminis- trators hope that 75% to 80% of health-care workers get their free flu shots this fall. The provincial government has backed off on 4 bid to send home without pay health-care workers not immunized prior to an influenza flu outbreak. The provincial government backed off on the proposed policy last week following health union opposition. ‘ O'Connor emphasized that flu shots were never mandatory ‘for health-care workers. O°Connor said that health-care workers without a flu shot during a flu outbreak can be sent home with -.. pay or sent to work in another area away from patients. ‘The medical health officer has the power under the Health Act to exclude a worker from the workplace during a flu out- reak. ' “We are trying to get the maximum amount of (flu shot) “. coverage of the staff to make an outbreak less likely,” said ~ O'Connor who received his flu shot on Monday. Meanwhile Dr. Nigel Walton, the North Shore’s representa- » tive for the B.C. Medical Association, also had his flu shot. <. Walton says doctors or health-care workers with the flu put --« patients at risk. He said that the flu contributes to staff short- _ ages in hospitals. . # 7s NEWS photo Mike Wakefield Vee Seven ir’s here. Associate publisher Aren Evers and pub-. lisher Peter Speck with the new. Vee Seven magazine, coming #9 30,000 select North Shere homes today. -Care wo Wednesday, October 18, 2000 —- North Shore News - 3 rkers NEWS photo Terry Petors DR. Nigel Walton receives a flu shot from nurse Jean Lisle while Dr. Wayne Smith watches and walts his turn. The doctors were among hundreds who work at Lions Gate Hospital who received fiu shots this week. “Ac our busiest time of year, we just can’t afford to lose nurs- es and doctors to illnesses like this and being properly immu- nized will reduce the risk,” he said. Last year, a flu outbreak Flu shots for seniors and people with certain illaesses are free at clinics. Police and firefighters get free shots along with the health-care workers. For everyone else, flu shots cost about $15 and are available through family doctors. ; filled the emergency department. The flu shot this year contains an antigen component of the influenza virus strains of A/Panama, A/New Caledonia and B/Yamanashi, said O’Connor. ‘The shots don't cause the flu. Motion gets under the skin From page wake of council's earlier decision to cighten up bylaws addressing the operation of body rub parlours and pawnshops. Perrault’s recommendation asks. for council to direct staff “to not accept: or process any business licence applications to Operate a tattes shop until such time that council adopts the amendments to further ; regulate tattoo shops.” : » Jt would also block existing tattoo shops trom relocating in Lower Lonsdale. While. T.X. Ink Studio at 737 Marine “Drive is currently the only tattoo shop - operating in the city, a revamped bylaw would also affect the owner of Millennium Tattoos, who is just setting up in the city’s Lower Lonsdale area and has only started the process of obtaining a business licence. He greeted news of Perrault’s motion with dismayed surprise. Said Jason Doherty, “I've already spent a lot of money in here. What if they do change it? Who is going to reimburse me. What's going to happen to my family?” Tigger McBride operates T.X. Ink. He’s ~ been there just over a year, but already is considering relocating, because of parking problems. . He’s renovated three times since he’s opened for business and estimates that he’s put well over $75,000 into the city coffers. “I don’t see where my business is ques- tionable,” McBride said. “It’s a late 1960s attitude that was accepted 10-12 years ago, (but) it’s not valid sow.” McBride said he had a “stack of clients” demonstrating community support for his Flu shor clinics drew 400. people. mee business. McBride claims a number of “high profile clients” including, he says, prominent North Shore City Hall employ- ces. : Meanwhile, in the district, Dan McNeil has been operating Mum’s Tattoo at 291 Pemberton for 18 years. It’s a family busi- ness. His wife Rosalie and 27-year-old son Dale are employees. Their clientele includes judges, lawyers and movie stars. A motorcycle parts dealer looking for a second income, McNeil located. the busi- for health-care workers held on Monday More than 300 health-care workers were inoculated against strains of the influenza virus yesterday. NEWS photos Cindy Goodman JASON Doherty, left, and Dan McNeil are in the tattoo business. oe ness in North Vancouver District after the.” city told him it would never grant hinia - licence for a tattoo parlour. He thinks he knows what's behind the” ame ban and it smacks of harassment. ©. - “A lot of it has to do with a few people |. who think they have a better image of what :: the city should be,” said the burly McNeil in his soft-spoken tone. “North Vancouver °. (City) likes to think that it’s keeping up with the times. They have this lice com- * munity image in their collective. mind.” ~’ “I've seen the propaganda,” said Bell. “And I TransLink asked to rethink tax : From page’ =o pay $75; if you own a Ford Explorer or a vehicle -; of similar size, be prepared to shell out $126. “The irony here is a Porche owner would like- ly only pay $40 while a family owning a Honda SUV.would pay $120... > - 2 ‘By comparison, using: SPEC's proposed " option, this’same Porche owner would pay clos- er to $84 and the family driving the Honda SUV would pay more like $66. ‘Based on SPEC’s “driver profiles”, an average local resident ‘and commuter would drive. any- — where between 12,000 and 30,000 kilometres per year. Commercial drivers can drive upwards of 80,000 kilometres a year. The group admitted that this would make it tougher on commercial “drivers, but it would also make it easier on the elderly who, they say, cannot afford to pay the new levy. Still, SPEC supporters, and the rest of the public in attendance, vehemently opposed the - weight-based tax in favour of something more equitable, a ; Councillors agreed and have now voted in favour of sending TransLink back to the drawing, board to rethink the process. Whether that means increasing: gas taxes, or implementing ‘tolls, they have no intention of supporting the - weight-based vehicle levy as it stands. feel that they (TransLink) expect all the councils - to be like.sheep.” But whether or, not a gas tay can be collected back from the provincial ‘gov-’ “ernment or not is another matter. Since transit is.’ now controlied locally, here at the regional level, it may be an option out of TransLInk’s reach. All councillors supported the idea of asking”. the provincial government to help fix the-short- fall which, as Bell pointed out, was handed down : from them in the first place. “They gave us the problem,” he said.