Canadian Pandemic Influenza Preparedness

The strategic nature of the information in the main body of the planning guidance has been strengthened and lessons learned from the 2009 pandemic have been incorporated. [...] These are accompanied by a discussion of ethical considerations pertaining to pandemic preparedness and response, and consideration of the implications of Canada’s diversity and the needs of vulnerable persons. [...] In subsequent pandemics, the proportion of influenza-associated deaths in the US in persons under 65 years of age was 36% (1957-58), and 48% (1968-69).4 In the 2009 pandemic 70% of reported deaths in Canada were in persons under 65 years of age.5 2.1.3 PANDEMIC IMPACT For planning and response purposes, describing the impact of a pandemic on the population is a more meaningful approach than talkin [...] CANADIAN PANDEMIC INFLUENZA PREPAREDNESS: Planning Guidance for the Health Sector 17 Under the Framework, Member States, including Canada, are responsible for: •. ensuring the timely sharing of influenza viruses with human pandemic potential with the Global Influenza Surveillance and Response System (GISRS); •. contributing to the pandemic influenza benefit-sharing system; and •. continuing to sup [...] The supporting objectives for the health sector are as follows: A. MINIMIZE SERIOUS ILLNESS AND OVERALL DEATHS BY •. reducing the spread of infection through promotion of individual and community actions; •. protecting the population through provision of pandemic vaccine and implementation of other public health measures; and •. providing treatment and support for large numbers of persons while ma