Frequently Asked Questions – Pandemic Preparedness

Considerable attention has been given recently to the prospect of an influenza pandemic sweeping the globe and causing serious illness and death. The following questions and answers will help give you a better understanding of what an influenza pandemic is and how Canada's preparing to respond to an outbreak.

• What is a pandemic?
• What is an influenza pandemic?
• Is there a vaccine available for protection against pandemic influenza?
• Will the annual flu shot provide protection from pandemic influenza?
• What is the difference between a vaccine and an antiviral?
• Does Canada have enough antivirals stockpiled to treat Canadians in the event of a pandemic?
• What is the expected impact of an influenza pandemic in Canada?
• What can I do to prepare myself and my family in the event of an influenza pandemic?
• What is the Canadian Pandemic Influenza Plan?
• Who develops the Canadian Pandemic Influenza Plan?
• How was the plan developed?
• What kind of activities does the plan cover?
• How has the plan changed since it was released last year?

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What is a pandemic?
A pandemic is the worldwide outbreak of a specific disease to which people have little or no immunity.

What is an influenza pandemic?
People are exposed to different strains of the influenza virus many times during their lives. Even though the virus changes, their previous bouts of influenza may offer some protection against infection caused by a similar strain of the virus. However, three to four times each century, for unknown reasons, a radical change takes place in the influenza A virus causing a new strain to emerge.

Since people have no protection against the new strain, it can spread rapidly around the world, causing what is known as a pandemic. Frequently, the pandemic influenza virus causes severe complications, such as pneumonia and death in previously healthy individuals. The last three pandemics occurred in 1918-19, 1957-58 and 1968-69.

Is there a vaccine available for protection against pandemic influenza?
Canada is one of the few countries in the world prepared to have a vaccine manufacturer develop and supply a pandemic influenza vaccine as soon as a new strain is identified. Under a 10-year contract signed in 2001 between the Government of Canada and ID Biomedical (now GlaxoSmithKline Biologicals), the company will be able to produce enough vaccine for all Canadians in the event of an influenza pandemic.

Vaccines are the first line of defense against a pandemic, but it could take at least six months to produce the vaccine for a new virus. This complex process cannot begin until the pandemic begins and the new virus has been identified. This means that a vaccine will probably not be available when the first wave of the pandemic strikes Canada.

There is a global effort to develop prototype pandemic vaccines, including H5N1 vaccines, as part of pandemic preparedness.

Will the annual flu shot provide protection from pandemic influenza?
No. The annual flu shot only covers the strains of human influenza that are expected to be in circulation during that year's flu season. While getting a flu shot each year is the most effective way to avoid getting seasonal flu, it will not provide protection from any new influenza strain that emerges to create a pandemic.

What is the difference between a vaccine and an antiviral?
When you get a vaccine against an influenza virus (usually in the form of an injection or “shot”), it introduces a virus to your body that is either dead or in a weakened state and is harmless. Your body quickly produces antibodies against the vaccine virus. These antibodies provide you with immunity against the virus for about four to six months. If you are exposed to the influenza virus during that time, the antibodies you have created will either prevent you from getting sick or will help reduce the severity of your illness. Unlike vaccines, antivirals do not stop you from getting sick by providing immunity. An antiviral is a medicine that you take by swallowing a pill or liquid, or by breathing it in. The medicine works by either destroying the virus or interfering with its ability to grow and reproduce. It can be given to patients when they are sick to reduce symptoms, to shorten the length of illness and to minimize serious complications.

Does Canada have enough antivirals stockpiled to treat Canadians in the event of a pandemic?
Federal, provincial and territorial governments have stablished a national stockpile of antivirals for use in the event of an influenza pandemic. Additional supplies are being acquired, including antiviral solution for young children and other people who cannot swallow capsules. Governments intend to increase the stockpile to 55 million doses—enough to treat the estimated number of Canadians who will require medical attention during a pandemic.

What is the expected impact of an influenza pandemic in Canada?
Just as we do not know when the next pandemic will strike, we cannot predict how severe it will be. That will depend on the influenza strain that emerges, how easily it spreads, which groups of people are affected, and how effectively we respond. Assuming a moderately severe pandemic, and in the absence of a pandemic vaccine and antivirals, it is estimated that between 15 and 35 percent of Canadians could become ill, 34,000 to 138,000 individuals may need to be hospitalized; and between 11,000 and 58,000 deaths could occur.

What can I do to prepare myself and my family in the event of an influenza pandemic?
Staying informed and understanding the potential challenges you may face in your community in the event of a flu pandemic can help you to prepare for a variety of scenarios. Fact sheets and check lists for individuals and families, communities and businesses are available on the Public Health Agency of Canada website at www.phac-aspc.gc.ca

What is the Canadian Pandemic Influenza Plan?
The Canadian Pandemic Influenza Plan for the Health Sector was created by federal, provincial and territorial officials, and more than 200 experts, to explain how Canada will prepare for and respond to a pandemic influenza outbreak. The Plan was created for government departments of health, emergency workers, public health officials and health care workers. It includes an emergency response plan, along with guidelines and checklists. An updated version of the Plan was released in December, 2006. The Plan is available on-line at www.pandemicplan.gc.ca

Who develops the Canadian Pandemic Influenza Plan?
The members of the Pandemic Influenza Committee (PIC) have developed the plan with the contribution of many experts who have developed the technical annexes that accompany the Plan. The plan continues to evolve as we learn more about potential pandemic strains of influenza and measures that we can take to potentially affect the outcome of an influenza pandemic.

Members of PIC include provincial and territorial public health experts, other public health and emergency response experts, an ethicist, as well as the Public Health Agency of Canada officials. Members of the working groups that developed the technical annexes represent a broad range of expertise and experience relevant to pandemic planning. All provinces and territories currently have a copy of the Pandemic Influenza Plan and have used it for their own provincial and territorial planning. The plan is reviewed and approved by the Council of Deputy Ministers.

How was the plan developed?
The plan is based on the basic principles of public health and emergency response. Canada has had a pandemic influenza plan since 1988 and the plan continues to evolve based on our research, our experience and the experiences of other countries with disease outbreaks. It was developed collaboratively with the provinces and territories through the Pandemic Influenza Committee and in consultation with over 200 experts.

What kind of activities does the plan cover?
The goals of influenza pandemic preparedness and response are to minimize serious illness and overall deaths, as well as to minimize any social disruption among Canadians as a result of an influenza pandemic. It identifies, in particular, the prevention and preparedness activities that need to be addressed before a pandemic, including surveillance, vaccine programs, antivirals, health services, public health measures and communications.

How has the plan changed since it was released ?
Since the plan was released last year, we continue to work on all the recommended preparedness activities and outstanding issues outlined in the Plan. The Pandemic Influenza Committee is currently updating the Plan to reflect the new pandemic phase terminology published by the WHO.

Three additional technical annexes are currently being prepared for publication that further highlight necessary preparedness activities and stakeholder roles. Other annexes are being updated based on more recent data and experience with influenza outbreaks. These documents and other ongoing preparedness activities will continue to set the agenda for pandemic preparedness in Canada.

Canadian Pandemic Influenza Plan >>

For more information on pandemic influenza, visit http://www.fightflu.ca/index-eng.html