Conference of Federal-Provincial-Territorial Ministers of Health

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BACKGROUNDER – CANADIAN PANDEMIC INFLUENZA PLAN

The Canadian Pandemic Influenza Plan maps out how Canada will prepare for and respond to an influenza pandemic. Federal, provincial and territorial governments collaborated on its development.
The Canadian Pandemic Influenza Plan is designed for:

       
  • federal, provincial and territorial departments of health
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  • emergency workers,
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  • public health officials, and
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  • health care workers

The plan includes guidelines and checklists that these groups can use in emergency response planning and creates a framework that guides the actions of all levels of government in the event of an influenza pandemic.

The plan covers the following activities:

       
  • Prevention activities, such as surveillance programs and the establishment of an infrastructure for manufacturing sufficient vaccines to protect all Canadians at the time of a pandemic.
       
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  • Preparedness activities, include the preparation of actual plans for a pandemic. The preparedness section addresses key activity areas, such as vaccine programs, surveillance and public health measures in terms of their current status and future requirements.
       
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  • Response/Implementation activities for controlling the pandemic, minimizing deaths and any social disruption it causes, including communication activities. Implementation also involves documenting the current activities and outcomes to determine if any changes need to be made to the response.
The plan describes the different phases of a pandemic and the roles and responsibilities for each level of government at each phase. The phases described in Canada's plan are based on the World Health Organization's pandemic phases. These phases are helpful for planning concrete steps under key activity areas for each phase. When put together, the phases provide guidance on what needs to be done as a pandemic unfolds.

 

The plan is currently in the process of being updated to reflect recent revisions made to the WHO pandemic phases.

The plan also includes a series of annexes that offer detailed guidance on specific areas such as infection control, clinical guidelines and communications. The annexes cover the following topics:

       
  • Pandemic Influenza Planning Considerations in First Nations Communities
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  • Laboratory Procedures
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  • Vaccines
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  • Antivirals
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  • Infection Control and Occupational Health Guidelines
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  • Clinical Care Guidelines and Tools
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  • Resource Management Guidelines for Health Care Facilities
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  • Guidelines for the Management of Mass Fatalities
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  • Guidelines for Non-Traditional Sites and Workers
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  • Communications
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  • Federal Emergency Planning Documents

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