Health and Community Services
November 15, 2007
Province Strengthens Preparedness for Pandemic
The Provincial Government has taken an important step
forward in its ongoing work to ensure the province is prepared in the
event of an influenza pandemic. Today the Honourable Ross Wiseman,
Minister of Health and Community Services, was joined by the province�s
chief medical officer of health, Dr. Faith Stratton, as he outlined the
tenets of the newly-released document Pandemic Influenza: Planning
Guidelines, Roles and Responsibilities for the Health Sector.
"The potential threat of a pandemic is of concern
worldwide and while it is impossible to predict the timing of the next
pandemic, our government is working to make certain our health system is
poised to best respond to the needs of our residents should such an
event occur," said Minister Wiseman. "In our most recent Blueprint, we
committed to continued vigilance in ensuring the province�s readiness
for pandemics and other public health emergencies. These guidelines
reflect that commitment and represent an enormous amount of work that
will provide a solid foundation for us to build on our pandemic
preparedness."
Pandemic Influenza: Planning Guidelines, Roles and
Responsibilities for the Health Sector will
guide the health sector both at the provincial and community level to
enhance pandemic awareness, planning and response. The roles and
responsibilities of the four regional health authorities and the
Provincial Government are outlined and aligned with those of the Federal
Government. The overall goal is a comprehensive and integrated approach
that will ease the impacts of a pandemic in the province.
"These guidelines will prove tremendously valuable for
our regional medical officers of health and front-line health care
managers," said Dr. Stratton. "They will help ensure a consistent and
thorough approach throughout the health system during a pandemic and
consequently, the delivery of the best possible health care."
The planning guidelines were developed in
collaboration with the regional health authorities and involved
consultation with several Provincial Government departments. In
addition, the department works closely with other provinces and
territories and the Public Health Agency of Canada to ensure a common
approach to pandemic planning and response across the country.
"This planning tool is part of a group of measures our
government has implemented to enhance the protection of the public in
the event of a public health emergency," said Minister Wiseman. "In
Budget 2006, we invested $4.7 million for enhanced health and emergency
preparedness and today we are taking another important step in preparing
our health care system to respond to an influenza pandemic."
"The release of these planning guidelines for the
health sector today marks the accomplishment of an important piece in
our strategy of ensuring thorough and effective pandemic and health
emergency preparedness that best protects the people of this province,"
said Minister Wiseman. "We will continue to update these guidelines as
we move forward in working with the regional health authorities as they
develop detailed operational plans at the community level."
The document Pandemic Influenza: Planning
Guidelines, Roles and Responsibilities for the Health Sector is
available at www.gov.nl.ca/health.
Any updates will also be posted to this site.
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Media contact:
Glenda Power
Director of Communications
Department of Health and Community Services
709-729-1377, 685-1741
glendapower@gov.nl.ca
BACKGROUNDER
Pandemic Influenza: Planning Guidelines, Roles and
Responsibilities for the Health Sector � An Overview
Pandemic Influenza: Planning Guidelines, Roles and
Responsibilities for the Health Sector is
a planning tool that will guide the health sector both at the
provincial and community levels to enhance pandemic awareness,
planning and response.
Specific responsibilities for the province and the
regional health authorities are set out, with information as well
provided on the role of the Federal Government as identified in the
Canadian Pandemic Influenza Plan.
The World Health Organization (WHO) has identified
four distinct pandemic periods which serve as the core structure for
the planning guidelines presented throughout the document:
1. Inter-pandemic period � no new influenza
virus strains have been detected in humans;
2. Pandemic alert period � a new influenza
virus has been found in humans, though human-to-human
transmission is limited;
3. Pandemic period � human-to-human
transmission of the new influenza virus within the general
population has increased and is sustained; and
4. Post-pandemic period � this marks a return
to the inter-pandemic period noted above.
The specific responsibilities recommended for
pandemic planning and response nationally, provincially and
regionally are itemized by pandemic period in seven main areas:
5. Surveillance
Effective surveillance of influenza viruses
and cases can lead to early detection of a new influenza virus
and can also help guide prevention and control efforts. The
department and the regional health authorities participate in a
national program which monitors influenza. Such data is reported
weekly and can come from laboratories, workplaces, long-term
care facilities, childcare providers, outpatient departments,
hospital emergency settings and certain physicians� offices.
2.
Antiviral Drugs
Antiviral drugs are used for the treatment and
prophylaxis of annual influenza. During a pandemic, particularly
during the first wave of the illness when a vaccine is not yet
developed, antiviral drugs are expected to be effective and will
be used in accordance with national and best practice
guidelines. A provincial stockpile of antiviral drugs exists to
ensure availability for the province during a pandemic. The
pandemic guidelines document includes recommendations on the
development of plans to acquire, store and distribute antiviral
drugs.
3.
Vaccines
Vaccination will be the primary measure for
the prevention of influenza and its complications during a
pandemic. A vaccine can only be developed after the pandemic
strain of influenza has been identified. The province
participates in the national influenza vaccine procurement
program and this will continue in the event of a pandemic. An
effective pandemic vaccine program will provide a secure vaccine
supply to residents and help prevent illness, hospitalization
and death. During a pandemic, mass immunization of the entire
population will be carried out once the new pandemic vaccine is
available.
4.
Public Health Measures
Public health measures are actions taken to
prevent, control or reduce the impacts of a pandemic. These
measures may include public health advice on personal hygiene,
public education programs, travel restrictions, the closure of
public schools and the limiting of public gatherings.
5.
Health Services
Demands on the health care system are expected
to increase during a pandemic due to the increased demand for
care and increased absenteeism within the system. The planning
guidelines provide specific recommendations for effective health
services emergency planning with primary goals including the
maintenance of essential health services and the minimizing of
pandemic related mortality.
Laboratory Services
The provincial Public Health Laboratory (PHL)
is the only facility in the province with the capability to
provide influenza testing and will play a central role in the
surveillance of a pandemic in the province. Depending on the
extent and severity of the pandemic, the demand for influenza
testing will likely exceed PHL�s capacity. In this event, PHL
will use the services of the National Laboratory Network and
other satellite centres. The planning guidelines will help
ensure key objectives for the provision of laboratory services
are met, including the support of hospital laboratories for
surveillance activities, the detection and monitoring of a
pandemic virus, and the support of diagnoses by physicians.
Communications
The planning guidelines support effective and
timely communications by the department to ensure the public is
informed and educated on pandemic, while also encouraging
efficient communications amongst the regions, province and
Federal Government.
BACKGROUNDER
Frequently Asked Questions on Pandemic Influenza
What is a pandemic?
A pandemic is the worldwide spread of a specific
disease to which people have little or no immunity.
What is an influenza pandemic?
An influenza pandemic occurs when a radical change
takes place in an influenza virus causing a new strain against which
people have little or no immunity. If this new strain has the ability to
spread easily from person to person, many people around the world will
become ill and possibly die.
Why do we need planning guidelines for pandemic
influenza?
These guidelines are an important step in ensuring the
province can effectively respond to an influenza pandemic. They will
assist the regional health authorities as they develop their pandemic
plans and will help ensure that the best possible health care services
are available to residents in the event of a pandemic.
Is it known when the next pandemic will occur?
Influenza pandemics occur two or three times per
century. The next pandemic is inevitable but its timing and severity
cannot be predicted.
How is influenza or the flu different from an
influenza pandemic?
Human influenza, or the flu, is a respiratory
infection caused by the influenza virus. Influenza will circulate every
year and causes mild to severe illness in outbreaks. Influenza pandemics
occur approximately two or three times per century when a new influenza
virus emerges to which humans have no immunity. This results in
widespread disease, increased hospitalization and high mortality.
Will the annual flu shot provide protection from
pandemic influenza?
No. The annual influenza vaccine includes the
influenza strains expected to be in circulation during that year�s flu
season. While annual immunization is the most effective way to avoid
getting seasonal flu, it will not provide protection from a new
influenza strain that emerges and results in a pandemic.
How is influenza spread?
The influenza virus spreads through droplets that have
been coughed or sneezed into the air by someone who has the flu. You can
get the flu by breathing in these droplets through your nose or mouth,
or by the droplets landing directly on your eyes. You can also contract
the virus by shaking hands with infected people or by touching
contaminated surfaces then transferring the viruses to your own eyes,
nose or mouth.
What are the symptoms of influenza?
Influenza symptoms typically include the rapid onset
of fever, headache, chills, cough, muscle aches, fatigue, watery eyes
and a sore throat. Vomiting and diarrhea may also occur, especially in
children.
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