Some children given flu shots at Tuktoyaktuk, N.W.T., school without consent, parents say

Some families in Tuktoyaktuk, N.W.T., are upset after they say their children were given flu shots at school, or were pressured to get them, despite a lack of consent from parents.

John Noksana Jr., a parent and a grandfather of school-aged children, said his 12-year-old daughter received two vaccinations at her school. He says one was a flu shot and that he hasn't been able to confirm what the other one was.

Noksana Jr. said his daughter returned home the day of the vaccination clinic in November and told her parents what had happened.

"We were quite upset with it, with the whole process, because on a consent form, we didn't agree … There were two different [vaccines], and I don't even know what the other one was, to date."

Noksana Jr. also said his 10-year-old granddaughter was pressured to get a flu shot at the school despite the fact that her parents did not consent. The girl did not end up getting a shot. 

He said she told a school staff member she wasn't supposed to get a shot and that her mom said no — but the staff member told her she had to.

That child's mother confirmed the story to CBC News, and said her daughter's consent form was marked "no". 

Another parent, Crystal Klengenberg, said her five-year-old son also received a flu shot at the school without parental consent.  

"I couldn't believe it … That shouldn't have happened. Like, he's so young too. He didn't know what was going on," said Klengenberg.

She said she received a call from the school after it happened when they realized the mistake.

Klengenberg said the manager of the nurses from the local health centre called her to apologize.

"She also said that the nurse that did the flu shots was really sorry," Klengenberg said. 

CBC News contacted the school and was directed to its superintendent, who was unavailable for an interview before publication.

Lack of transparency means 'people lose faith in public health,' says doctor

Dr. Iris Gorfinkel, a Toronto-based family physician, said situations like this can break medical trust for years to come.

"If there's one thing that will definitely make people lose faith in public health altogether, [it's] lack of transparency," said Gorfinkel.

She added that it does much more harm than good to provide a consent form and not be honest about whether it will be honoured.

"The very presence of the consent form means we want your consent to do this, or we need your consent," said Gorfinkel.

Gorfinkel acknowledged that the N.W.T. faces unique challenges when it comes to access to health care and responding to contagious illnesses. However, she noted that flu shots in a typical year will be about 40 per cent effective, which is less than for many other vaccines.   

"Once public trust is gone, then we risk public trust for vaccines that are far more effective — and other public health measures, too."

Health authority won't comment on specific cases

In a statement to CBC News, the Northwest Territories Health and Social Services Authority (NTHSSA) said it was "unable to comment on specific cases due to privacy matters."

"However, for general awareness, when concerns of this nature arise, a review is conducted and if necessary, actions taken to prevent similar events or incidents from occurring in the future," the statement reads.

Officials said that if residents have concerns they can contact the health authority's office of client experience.

Noksana Jr. said the situation has brought back hurtful memories of the past for him. He pointed to the issue of trust between Indigenous families and the health care system.

"It seems like the system is letting us down and it's never gonna change," said Noksana Jr.

Noksana Jr. said he would like to see more accountability from health officials about what happened back in November.

"It's like nobody cares — 'Oh, we're sorry we did that and let's move on.' No repercussions," he said.