Canadian natives want swine flu vaccine firstA group representing Canada's indigenous population has called for native communities to receive priority vaccination vaccination, means of producing immunity against pathogens, such as viruses and bacteria, by the introduction of live, killed, or altered antigens that stimulate the body to produce antibodies against more dangerous forms. against swine flu swine flu n. A highly contagious form of human influenza caused by a filterable virus identical or related to a virus formerly isolated from infected swine. . The Assembly of First Nations (AFN AFN Assembly of First Nations AFN American Forces Network AFN Ancestral File Number (FamilySearch genealogy records) AFN Alesco Financial Inc (stock symbol) AFN Alaska Federation of Natives ) justified its call by pointing to the disproportionate spread of the A(H1N1) virus in remote indigenous communities, including in Manitoba, where the rate of infection is "20 times higher... than in the general population." AFN Regional Chief Angus Toulouse, who holds the health portfolio at the organization, said the high infection rates were due largely to "pre-existing health conditions and poor living conditions living conditions npl → condiciones fpl de vida living conditions npl → conditions fpl de vie living conditions living ." But he added that "some doctors suspect biological factors may also play a role," and called on the Canadian government to prioritize pri·or·i·tize v. pri·or·i·tized, pri·or·i·tiz·ing, pri·or·i·tiz·es Usage Problem v.tr. To arrange or deal with in order of importance. v.intr. native communities when deciding how to distribute the vaccine. Canadian Health Minister Leona Aglukkaq Leona Aglukkaq is from the Gjoa Haven, Nunavut area of Canada. Aglukkaq is currently the Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA) for the electoral district of Nattilik having won the seat in the 2004 Nunavut election. said distribution would be ordered by risk. "Those most at risk will receive the vaccine first. We expect that the H1N1 vaccine will be made available by late October, early November, and everyone who needs (the) vaccine will be able to get at least one dose before Christmas," Aglukkaq said. British pharmaceutical group Glaxo-SmithKline is working on production of a swine flu vaccine in its facilities in Canada. There are some 1.2 million indigenous people in Canada, including Inuits, Indians and mixed race natives. More than 10,000 people in Canada have contracted the A(H1N1) virus so far, including 45 people who have died. 
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