Chester Gillan, Minister of Health, today announced that the PEI Pandemic Influenza Contingency Plan for the Health Sector is now available.
“The Department of Health has made pandemic planning a priority,” said Minister Gillan. “Although we’re not in an influenza pandemic now, most experts agree that it is not a matter of if a pandemic will happen, but when it will happen,” he added. “Planning and preparedness are essential to ensure a coordinated and effective response occurs during an influenza pandemic.”
The plan outlines a number of strategies to deal with pandemic influenza including the use of public health measures such as public education, closing schools and limiting indoor public gatherings, infection prevention and control, vaccination of the population, the use of antiviral medications, and maximizing human resource capacity through the development of essential service plans and business continuity plans.
This plan is a revision of PEI’s 2002 plan and is closely aligned with the 2006 Canadian Pandemic Influenza Plan for the Health Sector, which is a national collaborative effort between the provinces and territories and the Public Health Agency of Canada.
The plan lays the ground work required to move to the next step which is the operational phase currently in development and that phase includes training and education of staff.
Ongoing planning will occur over the winter of 2007 and the strategies will be tested through a table-top exercise for overall effectiveness and to identify gaps and areas for improvement.
“The aim of the pandemic plan is to reduce the impact of the illness on the health of Islanders and to minimize societal disruption as much as possible,” said Minister Gillan. “The work being done now will also inform us in the event of other infectious disease emergencies and natural or technological disasters,” he added.
The PEI Pandemic Influenza Contingency Plan for the Health Sector is available online on the Department of Health website at: www.gov.pe.ca/photos/original/influenza121806.pdf
QUESTIONS & ANSWERS
PEI PANDEMIC INFLUENZA CONTINGENCY PLAN FOR THE HEALTH SECTOR
What is a pandemic?
Influenza pandemics occur when a new influenza A virus emerges to which virtually no one is immune and results in unusually high rates of illness and death worldwide.
When do we expect a pandemic to happen?
There has not been an influenza pandemic since1968 but most experts agree that another pandemic is inevitable.
With increases in global transport and urbanization, outbreaks could occur more rapidly than we have experienced historically. We are long overdue for an influenza pandemic and, with the circulation of the Asian strain of the novel virus H5N1, there is reason to be concerned that a human influenza pandemic could evolve.
While no one knows for sure when an influenza pandemic will occur, most experts agree that it is not a question of if an influenza pandemic will occur, but when.
Why is this plan important?
It is estimated that 35 percent of the population could be affected by influenza illness over the course of a pandemic. Some will have mild symptoms and will recover at home, some will need a visit to the doctor, and some will need to be in the hospital if they have complications from influenza. The health sector will be faced with a surge in ill people requiring care. At the same time, a significant reduction in health care workers due to their own illness, other care giving commitments, or fear could seriously challenge the system’s ability to cope with the surge.
Integrated planning and diverse strategies will lead to a coordinated and effective response during an influenza pandemic. The aim of the pandemic plan is to reduce the impact of the illness on the health of Islanders and to minimize societal disruption as much as possible.
How did this plan come together?
The strategy is a revision of PEI’s 2002 plan and is closely aligned with the 2006 Canadian Pandemic Influenza Plan, which is a national collaborative effort between the provinces and territories and the Public Health Agency of Canada.
The PEI Health Pandemic Influenza Committee has the overall responsibility of ensuring that each division of the health system has an operational plan in place that will result in an integrated and coordinated health sector response to an influenza pandemic in PEI.
Development of the operational plan is being done by a number of working groups and task groups with representation from disciplines across the health system. Planning is occurring at the facility and program level and provincially to ensure overall consistency and integration. Once developed, the plan will be tested for overall effectiveness and to identify areas for improvement. Ongoing review and exercising will ensure that the plan is current and relevant when an influenza pandemic is declared by the World Health Organization.
What are the key highlights of the plan?
The health plan outlines a number of strategies to deal with pandemic influenza including:
• use of public health measures such as public awareness and education, closing schools, and limiting public gatherings
• robust infection prevention and control
• vaccination of our population once an effective vaccine is available
• use of antiviral medications for treatment of people with influenza
• maximizing our human resource capacity through the development of essential service plans
• business continuity plans for all divisions in the health system
Is there a stockpile of medical supplies and antiviral medications?
Like other provinces, PEI has a stockpile of antiviral medications to be used in the event of an influenza pandemic – 70,800 doses of antiviral medication (Tamiflu) with another 144,000 doses on order and expected to be in the province over the next 12 months.
A stockpile of medical supplies for infection control and mass immunization has been started. The plan is to add to this stockpile over time to ensure an adequate stock of critical medical supplies in the event that anticipated shortages become reality.
Will an influenza pandemic affect other government departments and sectors besides health?
It is now recognized that this would not be just a health emergency, and planning must occur by all sectors in the province to ensure continuity of essential public services.
Business Continuity planning for an influenza pandemic must be undertaken by all government departments.
What are the next steps?
The plan lays the ground work required for the health sector to complete the next step which is the operational phase currently in development and that phase includes training and education of staff.
Ongoing planning will occur over the winter of 2007 and the strategies will be tested through a table-top exercise for overall effectiveness and to identify gaps and areas for improvement.
The work being done now will also inform us in the event of other infectious disease emergencies and natural or technological disasters.