NEWS RELEASE

For Immediate Release 2009HLS0003-000006 June 11, 2009

Ministry of Healthy Living and Sport

 

PANDEMIC IN PERSPECTIVE

 

VICTORIA – Provincial health officer Perry Kendall is reassuring British Columbians that, just because the World Health Organization has raised its alert level to phase 6 (the pandemic phase), it doesn’t currently appear the H1N1 flu virus will pose any more of a risk to people in the province today than it did yesterday.

 

            “While this is the WHO’s highest alert phase, it’s important to understand that a pandemic does not mean the H1N1 flu virus has become more severe,” said Kendall. “In fact, today’s increase to phase 6 only means that other countries have been added to the list and that we can expect to experience the equivalent of a bad flu year.”

 

Raising the alert level to phase 6 signals that the virus is moving between people in at least two countries in one WHO region, and that there have been community level outbreaks in at least one other country in a different WHO region. The WHO is also currently developing an index that will provide more information about the severity of the virus, in addition to its spread. The WHO has said it considers the overall severity of this pandemic to be moderate, which means most people recover from infection without the need for hospitalization or medical care.

 

 “B.C. is well prepared to deal with the H1N1 flu virus now and as we move closer toward the fall influenza season,” said Healthy Living and Sport Minister Ida Chong. “To help protect British Columbians against seasonal flu in the fall, British Columbia has acquired additional doses of influenza and pneumococcal vaccines but, as always, the best ways to protect yourself from any flu virus, including H1N1 or seasonal flu, remain frequent and thorough hand washing and staying home if you’re sick.”

 

Since the H1N1 flu virus situation became known in Mexico, British Columbia’s preparations for pandemic planning were raised immediately to an operational level equal to what would be set up for a phase 6 alert. Already, B.C. has put the following preparations in place:

·         Increase surveillance activities, including increased testing and case follow-up to evaluate the spread of the disease (if any) in communities;

·         Continue to review and ensure infection control guidelines and practices are up-to-date;

·         Continue to review and update of guidelines and policies related to outbreak management;

·         Increase communications to key stakeholder groups and the public;

·         Continue to review and update of pandemic influenza plans and business continuity plans; and

·         Link with public health colleagues on a federal and provincial level to ensure a consistent approach to managing the outbreak across Canada.

 

For more information on a pandemic, and other tips to protect yourself from the H1N1 or seasonal flu, visit www.gov.bc.ca/swineflu.

 

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Contact:

Anne McKinnon Communications Director 250 952-2387

 

 

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