As the vaccination campaign rolls out slowly across Montreal, fears have been raised by the news of a second death from swine flu.
The victim, 13-year-old Evan Frustraglio, died Monday at his home in Toronto, the second youngster in less than a week in Ontario to succumb to the disease.
"His legs were bothering him, he said. I was just giving him a bath... and within 10 minutes or so,he stopped breathing. I started to perform CPR and called 911 and it was too late, I guess this disease had already attacked his heart, that fast," said his father Paul Frustaglio.
While the vast majority of those who will get sick from H1N1 will make a full recovery, many across Montreal have questions.
Here are some answers to common questions about the illness and the vaccine:
Should pregnant women get the vaccine next week or wait for the vaccine without the adjuvant component to arrive?
Dr. Jocelyne Sauve, Monteregie Public Health: The hypothetical, theoretical small risk of the adjuvant is far less than the real complication that we see in women, so we recommend that the women who are in their second and third trimester - the second half of their pregnancy - get the vaccine as soon as possible: the one with the adjuvant.
How do we know the adjuvant added to boost the vaccine, is safe?
Dr. Timothy Brewer, Infectious Disease Specialist, McGill University: In Europe, they've been using influenza vaccines with adjuvants since 1997, with the exact same compound, Squalene, and they've given it to tens of millions of people, so we do know this particular adjuvant is safe.
If you think you had H1N1 last spring...do you still need a vaccine?
Dr. Timothy Brewer, Infectious Disease Specialist, McGill University: The vast majority of people who thought they had H1N1 weren't tested. What they had was an influenza-like illness and there are a lot of other viruses besides influenza that can cause those symptoms. Those people should be vaccinated.
If you have questions, concerns or stories about the swine flu, e-mail us at H1N1@ctv.ca.
