EDMONTON — By 9:30 a.m. Monday, a lineup of more than 300 people snaked through the Bonnie Doon Mall, where an immunization clinic opened at 9 a.m. This is the first day the much-debated H1N1 vaccine is being offered in Edmonton.
Richard Garbe was the first person in line. He arrived at 6 a.m. and received both the H1N1 vaccine and the seasonal flu shot.The 50-year-old welder and pipe fitter was getting on a plane Monday afternoon headed to Fort McMurray where he lives in a camp with 2,000 men.

“I would say a good third of them are already showing flu symptoms – sneezing, coughing, that kind of thing,” said Garbe. “I need to protect myself.”Garbe said he also planned to wear a surgical mask on the plane and was carrying an ample supply of hand sanitizer, which he planned to use liberally.Stacy, who did not want to give her last name, said she came to Bonnie Doon Mall to check out the lineup, and she left without getting the shot.

“I’m a bit iffy about it anyway,” she said. “So I’m going to have to think about it.”

She said she’s a diabetic and understands that because of her underlying medical issues, she probably should at least get the H1N1 vaccination, but she’s still unsure.

“I guess there’s a little bit of fear factor,” she said.

Gwen Stetsko, 35, also has underlying health issues that make her particularly susceptible to flu. Stetsko has multiple sclerosis but says she doesn’t always get the flu shot. She said her husband works in the health care system.

“Everyone in the medical profession we’ve talked to about this (H1N1) since May has told us that this is the one you need to get,” she said.She says she has no hesitation and plans to get both the seasonal flu shot and H1N1 vaccine for her children, Molly, 6, and Sophie, 4, both of whom were with her at the clinic.Dean Farrell, meanwhile, didn’t hesitate when asked if he plans to get vaccinated.

“Nope,” the 18-year-old said. “I have never had a vaccine in my life; that’s what my immune system is for.”

Pauline Zolkivski belongs to a nearby seniors club and says members there are split about whether or not to get the vaccine.

“Some want to get one and others don’t want to get either,” she said.

She has not received the H1N1 vaccination yet, but plans to. However, she won’t likely get the seasonal flu shot as well.

“I think that’s too much,” she said. “I’m worried about side effects.”

There also appeared to be some skepticism about the H1N1 vaccine and how quickly it was rolled out. Larry Sanders, 44, doesn’t plan to get the H1N1 vaccine or the flu shot. His plan is to stay healthy and hope for the best.