Connie Howard from the VueWeekly, an Edmonton Independent news and weekly columnist says we should be taking the available vaccination programs with a pinch of salt.
One of the things to consider, is Thimerosol which is a mercury derivative primarily used as a preservative in vaccines. The only thing to keep in mind though, is the toxicity of mercury to our brains. It is no longer used in childhood vaccines in Canada, but still used in flu vaccines, because adult brains are less susceptible to toxicity than developing ones.
Connie reminds us to consider the whole efficacy debate around the flu vaccine. Health officials make educated guesses about which flu strains are most likely to appear the following year. Based on their information, the efficacy in groups most recommended for the shots is 30 to 40 percent. The irony is that pneumonia and flu hospitalization rates for those in the high-risk category (newborns and the elderly) are less than one percent during flu season.
This seems to indicate a gap between flu prevention policy and evidence of efficacy and safety. Some of you may be aware that the flu medicine called Tamiflu, is being stockpiled like mad in the event of a bird flu outbreak. Although experts have questioned its efficacy, other flu medicines just don’t seem to rake in the same big profits.
Source:
VueWeekly, Edmonton’s 100% Independent news an Entertainment Weekly (2006). Well, well, well (Electronic version). Retrieved November 23, 2006 http://www.vueweekly.com/articles/default.asp
For additional information on Pandemic preparedness from a business continuity perspective, please feel free to contact Pitsel & Associates Ltd. Calgary, Alberta, (403) 245-0550. “The time to plan is when you have time to plan.”
Thursday, November 23, 2006
Latest information on the situation in Indonesia – November 2006 update
According to WHO (World Health Organization), the Ministry of Health in Indonesia has confirmed an additional two cases of human infection with the H5N1 avian influenza virus.
A 35-year old woman from Tangerang in the Banten province developed symptoms on 7 November and was taken up in hospital 3 days later. She remains hospitalized while her source of exposure is under investigation.
The second case is that of a 30-year old man from Karawang in the West Java province. His symptoms developed on 5 November and he was hospitalized on 10 November and died three days later.
An initial investigation about the source of exposure showed reports of chicken deaths near his home in the days before his symptom onset.
Of the 74 cases confirmed to date in Indonesia, 56 have been fatal.
Source:
World Health Organization: Epidemic and Pandemic Alert Response (ERP) (2006). Avian influenza – situation in Indonesia – update 37 (Electronic version). Retrieved November 23, 2006 http://www.who.int/csr/don/2006_11_13/en/index.html
For additional information on Pandemic preparedness from a business continuity perspective, please feel free to contact Pitsel & Associates Ltd. Calgary, Alberta, (403) 245-0550. “The time to plan is when you have time to plan.”
A 35-year old woman from Tangerang in the Banten province developed symptoms on 7 November and was taken up in hospital 3 days later. She remains hospitalized while her source of exposure is under investigation.
The second case is that of a 30-year old man from Karawang in the West Java province. His symptoms developed on 5 November and he was hospitalized on 10 November and died three days later.
An initial investigation about the source of exposure showed reports of chicken deaths near his home in the days before his symptom onset.
Of the 74 cases confirmed to date in Indonesia, 56 have been fatal.
Source:
World Health Organization: Epidemic and Pandemic Alert Response (ERP) (2006). Avian influenza – situation in Indonesia – update 37 (Electronic version). Retrieved November 23, 2006 http://www.who.int/csr/don/2006_11_13/en/index.html
For additional information on Pandemic preparedness from a business continuity perspective, please feel free to contact Pitsel & Associates Ltd. Calgary, Alberta, (403) 245-0550. “The time to plan is when you have time to plan.”
Who gets the vaccine?
When (and not “if”) a flu pandemic strikes, one of the most critical issues will involve the medical ethics of providing scare resources to the community. Hospitals and Health Regions across North America are having conversations on the guidelines to follow in delivering a scarce treatment such as a vaccine, or respirators to people who are hospitalized. Who should be first in line? Who decides this?
The following is an article from StarNewsonline.com – an online newspaper serving South Carolina.
N.C. panel prepares for morals of flu pandemic Associated PressRaleigh With a flu pandemic inevitable, North Carolina's medical professionals must prepare now for what could be wrenching moral decisions about who will be treated and who won't if the illness overwhelms hospital resources, members of a state task force said. The Task Force on Ethics and Pandemic Influenza Planning met recently to discuss a strong set of ethical guidelines for the state's doctors and nurses in the event of a global outbreak of a new and more virulent strain of flu virus. The list would help them decide who gets priority for medical care in the face of a wave of flu-stricken patients that would rapidly outstrip the supply of hospital beds, medicine and equipment."
It's going to exceed our capacity," Philip Rosoff, director of clinical ethics at Duke Hospital, said during a four-hour meeting of the task force Monday. "The more stringent and robust our guidelines are, the less chance there is for decisions being made for arbitrary and morally unjustifiable reasons. "Medical authorities say the next flu pandemic is long overdue and inevitable, based on the history of three deadly outbreaks in the 20th century: the Spanish flu pandemic of 1918-19, which killed 50 million to 100 million people worldwide; the Asian flu pandemic of 1957; and the Hong Kong flu pandemic of 1968.Hospitals across North Carolina are already at 85 percent to 90 percent capacity, and even a mild pandemic would force doctors and nurses to ration medicine and equipment.
The 40-member task force, a joint project of the North Carolina Institute of Medicine and the state Division of Public Health that began meeting in May, wrestled with the wisdom of giving children priority for scarce anti-viral drugs and vaccines.They also worried whether their guidelines would cut off the poor and disadvantaged, or Hispanic immigrants.They debated a scenario involving three gravely ill patients - a 10-year-old with a 30 percent chance of survival, a 40-year-old doctor with a 25 percent chance and a 65-year-old retiree with a 10 percent chance - whom all needed the only ventilator available to help them breathe."
Let's say I've got a hospital full of 85-year-olds on ventilators and I've got a 20-year-old who needs a ventilator: Do I take an 85-year-old off and give it to the 20-year-old?" Rosoff asked. The task force settled on two broad guidelines for rationing vaccines, anti-viral drugs and medical equipment during a flu pandemic. The first is to assure that crucial functions of society aren't disrupted. That means giving priority for vaccines and anti-viral medication to health care workers, police, firefighters and employees of critical industries such as utilities. The second is to reduce the number of deaths and infections and prevent the spread of the illness. The panel is due to issue a report in the spring.
In earlier meetings, members had discussed the responsibility of doctors and nurses to provide care during a pandemic, along with a hospital's responsibility to make sure those workers are safe, properly trained to handle unfamiliar tasks and paid for service during a crisis. The panel also has drafted recommendations about the movement of people during a pandemic, including the use of quarantine and the closing of schools, churches and other mass gatherings. Leaders of the task force have so far resisted issuing strict directives. But John Morrow, health director for Pitt County, called for a more direct approach."We're up here at 30,000 feet making these broad, philosophical statements, but nobody's going to read a paper like that," he said. "We've got folks with 100 doses of vaccine and everybody wants it, and we've got to give them specific guidelines on who gets it and why."
For additional information on Pandemic preparedness from a business continuity perspective, please feel free to contact Pitsel & Associates Ltd. Calgary, Alberta, (403) 245-0550. “The time to plan is when you have time to plan.”
The following is an article from StarNewsonline.com – an online newspaper serving South Carolina.
N.C. panel prepares for morals of flu pandemic Associated PressRaleigh With a flu pandemic inevitable, North Carolina's medical professionals must prepare now for what could be wrenching moral decisions about who will be treated and who won't if the illness overwhelms hospital resources, members of a state task force said. The Task Force on Ethics and Pandemic Influenza Planning met recently to discuss a strong set of ethical guidelines for the state's doctors and nurses in the event of a global outbreak of a new and more virulent strain of flu virus. The list would help them decide who gets priority for medical care in the face of a wave of flu-stricken patients that would rapidly outstrip the supply of hospital beds, medicine and equipment."
It's going to exceed our capacity," Philip Rosoff, director of clinical ethics at Duke Hospital, said during a four-hour meeting of the task force Monday. "The more stringent and robust our guidelines are, the less chance there is for decisions being made for arbitrary and morally unjustifiable reasons. "Medical authorities say the next flu pandemic is long overdue and inevitable, based on the history of three deadly outbreaks in the 20th century: the Spanish flu pandemic of 1918-19, which killed 50 million to 100 million people worldwide; the Asian flu pandemic of 1957; and the Hong Kong flu pandemic of 1968.Hospitals across North Carolina are already at 85 percent to 90 percent capacity, and even a mild pandemic would force doctors and nurses to ration medicine and equipment.
The 40-member task force, a joint project of the North Carolina Institute of Medicine and the state Division of Public Health that began meeting in May, wrestled with the wisdom of giving children priority for scarce anti-viral drugs and vaccines.They also worried whether their guidelines would cut off the poor and disadvantaged, or Hispanic immigrants.They debated a scenario involving three gravely ill patients - a 10-year-old with a 30 percent chance of survival, a 40-year-old doctor with a 25 percent chance and a 65-year-old retiree with a 10 percent chance - whom all needed the only ventilator available to help them breathe."
Let's say I've got a hospital full of 85-year-olds on ventilators and I've got a 20-year-old who needs a ventilator: Do I take an 85-year-old off and give it to the 20-year-old?" Rosoff asked. The task force settled on two broad guidelines for rationing vaccines, anti-viral drugs and medical equipment during a flu pandemic. The first is to assure that crucial functions of society aren't disrupted. That means giving priority for vaccines and anti-viral medication to health care workers, police, firefighters and employees of critical industries such as utilities. The second is to reduce the number of deaths and infections and prevent the spread of the illness. The panel is due to issue a report in the spring.
In earlier meetings, members had discussed the responsibility of doctors and nurses to provide care during a pandemic, along with a hospital's responsibility to make sure those workers are safe, properly trained to handle unfamiliar tasks and paid for service during a crisis. The panel also has drafted recommendations about the movement of people during a pandemic, including the use of quarantine and the closing of schools, churches and other mass gatherings. Leaders of the task force have so far resisted issuing strict directives. But John Morrow, health director for Pitt County, called for a more direct approach."We're up here at 30,000 feet making these broad, philosophical statements, but nobody's going to read a paper like that," he said. "We've got folks with 100 doses of vaccine and everybody wants it, and we've got to give them specific guidelines on who gets it and why."
For additional information on Pandemic preparedness from a business continuity perspective, please feel free to contact Pitsel & Associates Ltd. Calgary, Alberta, (403) 245-0550. “The time to plan is when you have time to plan.”
University of Western Ontario: Paul Mayne - October 2006 update
A researcher at the University of Toronto says it’s a matter of time before the emergence of a flu pandemic is expected to hospitalize and kill millions around the world.
Kristy Duncan is the author of a book called “Hunting the 1918 flu: one Scientist’s Search for a Killer Virus”. She speaks about the Spanish flu which killed about 50 million people worldwide and even went as far as exhuming the bodies of seven people who were killed by the 1918 flu.
Determined to find out what the virus looked like, she took samples from the brain, heart, kidney, liver and lung. She did this believing that the H5N1 has similar genetic paths than the Spanish flu. Kristy insists that the scientific world has a unique opportunity in becoming more prepared for the future by learning from the past.
Other leading scientists and the WHO say a pandemic is not only evident, but imminent. The question is; if it is imminent, then why are so few people concerned around the world? So far, to her knowledge only 15% of American businesses and 4% of Canadian businesses have a pandemic flu plan in place.
As a responsible scientific researcher, Duncan says the pandemic is very real and the challenge is not to create panic and fear mongering. Individual preparedness includes building a supply of food, water and medication to last for a period of six to eight weeks.
Something to think about for the next time you go shopping!
For additional information on Pandemic preparedness from a business continuity perspective, please feel free to contact Pitsel & Associates Ltd. Calgary, Alberta, (403) 245-0550. “The time to plan is when you have time to plan.”
Kristy Duncan is the author of a book called “Hunting the 1918 flu: one Scientist’s Search for a Killer Virus”. She speaks about the Spanish flu which killed about 50 million people worldwide and even went as far as exhuming the bodies of seven people who were killed by the 1918 flu.
Determined to find out what the virus looked like, she took samples from the brain, heart, kidney, liver and lung. She did this believing that the H5N1 has similar genetic paths than the Spanish flu. Kristy insists that the scientific world has a unique opportunity in becoming more prepared for the future by learning from the past.
Other leading scientists and the WHO say a pandemic is not only evident, but imminent. The question is; if it is imminent, then why are so few people concerned around the world? So far, to her knowledge only 15% of American businesses and 4% of Canadian businesses have a pandemic flu plan in place.
As a responsible scientific researcher, Duncan says the pandemic is very real and the challenge is not to create panic and fear mongering. Individual preparedness includes building a supply of food, water and medication to last for a period of six to eight weeks.
Something to think about for the next time you go shopping!
For additional information on Pandemic preparedness from a business continuity perspective, please feel free to contact Pitsel & Associates Ltd. Calgary, Alberta, (403) 245-0550. “The time to plan is when you have time to plan.”
Execs not prepared for workplace disasters – Calgary Herald Tuesday, September 26, 2006.
A recent article that appeared in the Calgary Herald spoke about how Canadian bosses have a ‘false sense of security’ according to a survey done by Leger Marketing. This survey measured how prepared Canadian firms are for the unexpected. The results, released on Tuesday, 26th September 2006, suggest the “majority of Canadian business leaders are operating under a false sense of security.”
According to the article 75 percent of Canadian business executives feel personally responsible for their company’s disaster preparedness. The analysis of the results conducted for Fusepoint Management Services warns that the majority of leaders have not thought about what to do when it comes to threats posed by hackers, terrorists or even natural disasters like blackouts and ice storms.
It seems only a small proportion of the 520 senior executives who were surveyed, say their company has a disaster recovery plan. And fewer than half of those leaders have a full-blown plan in place.
With the risk of terrorist threats and natural disasters, including a potential outbreak of the avian flu ever increasing, Canadian businesses simply cannot afford to take disaster preparedness for granted.
The article also quoted findings of a separate survey of employees, done by Leger Marketing, which suggests employees fear a pandemic outbreak to be of great concern. Almost 60 percent of employees replied that they would not go into work if someone in the office came down with the avian flu.
For additional information on Pandemic preparedness from a business continuity perspective, please feel free to contact Pitsel & Associates Ltd. Calgary, Alberta, (403) 245-0550. “The time to plan is when you have time to plan.”
According to the article 75 percent of Canadian business executives feel personally responsible for their company’s disaster preparedness. The analysis of the results conducted for Fusepoint Management Services warns that the majority of leaders have not thought about what to do when it comes to threats posed by hackers, terrorists or even natural disasters like blackouts and ice storms.
It seems only a small proportion of the 520 senior executives who were surveyed, say their company has a disaster recovery plan. And fewer than half of those leaders have a full-blown plan in place.
With the risk of terrorist threats and natural disasters, including a potential outbreak of the avian flu ever increasing, Canadian businesses simply cannot afford to take disaster preparedness for granted.
The article also quoted findings of a separate survey of employees, done by Leger Marketing, which suggests employees fear a pandemic outbreak to be of great concern. Almost 60 percent of employees replied that they would not go into work if someone in the office came down with the avian flu.
For additional information on Pandemic preparedness from a business continuity perspective, please feel free to contact Pitsel & Associates Ltd. Calgary, Alberta, (403) 245-0550. “The time to plan is when you have time to plan.”
Chinese lack of transparency could trigger bird flu pandemic
A real concern was expressed last week when news of a new strain of the deadly H5N1 bird flu virus reached virologists. This new strain has spread from southern China to South East Asia and re-ignited very real fears of an imminent pandemic.
According to the article, China’s Agricultural Ministry has come under sharp criticism from the World Health Organization for not sharing samples of the newly discovered strain of bird flu. China’s reluctance to share vital information and lack of cooperation has been an ongoing source of aggravation for health experts.
Scientists have been collecting bird faecal samples from poultry markets in the southern provinces from July 2005 to June 2006. They have found that the new strain from the Fujian province has become more predominant. Furthermore, 1 out of every 30 ducks and 1 out of every 30 geese in live markets tested positive for H5N1 but in that same period, Chinese authorities reported only three outbreaks in those same provinces.
Health experts feel it is important to know when a strain becomes more predominant than another in order to develop methods to detect and fight the disease. According to the article, it is believed some countries are reluctant to share genetic information or samples of viruses because they are afraid they will be pushed aside in the global race to produce a “lucrative vaccine”.
Source:
News-Medical.Net (2006). Chinese lack of transparency could trigger bird flu pandemic (Electronic version). Retrieved November 1, 2006 http://www.news-medical.net/default.asp
For additional information on Pandemic preparedness from a business continuity perspective, please feel free to contact Pitsel & Associates Ltd. Calgary, Alberta, (403) 245-0550. “The time to plan is when you have time to plan.”
According to the article, China’s Agricultural Ministry has come under sharp criticism from the World Health Organization for not sharing samples of the newly discovered strain of bird flu. China’s reluctance to share vital information and lack of cooperation has been an ongoing source of aggravation for health experts.
Scientists have been collecting bird faecal samples from poultry markets in the southern provinces from July 2005 to June 2006. They have found that the new strain from the Fujian province has become more predominant. Furthermore, 1 out of every 30 ducks and 1 out of every 30 geese in live markets tested positive for H5N1 but in that same period, Chinese authorities reported only three outbreaks in those same provinces.
Health experts feel it is important to know when a strain becomes more predominant than another in order to develop methods to detect and fight the disease. According to the article, it is believed some countries are reluctant to share genetic information or samples of viruses because they are afraid they will be pushed aside in the global race to produce a “lucrative vaccine”.
Source:
News-Medical.Net (2006). Chinese lack of transparency could trigger bird flu pandemic (Electronic version). Retrieved November 1, 2006 http://www.news-medical.net/default.asp
For additional information on Pandemic preparedness from a business continuity perspective, please feel free to contact Pitsel & Associates Ltd. Calgary, Alberta, (403) 245-0550. “The time to plan is when you have time to plan.”
Article from the Irish Medical Times released on 27 October 2006
When it comes to who does and who does not receive treatment, doctors and policy makers would have to make hard decisions in the event of flu pandemic. This is according to Prof. Frederick Burkle who is a Senior Fellow with the Harvard Humanitarian Initiative at Harvard University’s School of Public Health.
Exploring the populations who have the greatest chance of getting the virus, shows that the metropolitan areas are going to be the ones where epidemics can take off. According to Prof. Burkle “…that is exactly where the virus will want to go if it wants to stay alive. If you are living in a rural area where people aren’t living close to each other, the disease is not going to spread.”
The way doctors currently treat patients will fundamentally change to take on a population-based health care approach. He says: “The individual is really not important. My goal is to make sure that every patient will not transmit it to somebody else. In a normal ICU situation, you have a special nurse, two or three other nurses, and a whole team of doctors. In (a pandemic) it will be like Africa. The definition of intensive care of a hospital in Africa is that you might have a nurse that day.”
A shortage of ventilators in Ireland poses a tough question to doctors in deciding who gets to live or die – just as ventilator shortages elsewhere in the world, including the US. Prof. Burkle adds that exclusion criteria must be agreed upon before the event. He adds: “Someone may come in with a cardiac arrest or respiratory arrest because of the disease. Resuscitation is high maintenance. We use a lot of medication and equipment. Chances are, resources will not allow (resuscitation) to happen”.
For additional information on Pandemic preparedness from a business continuity perspective, please feel free to contact Pitsel & Associates Ltd. Calgary, Alberta, (403) 245-0550. “The time to plan is when you have time to plan.”
Exploring the populations who have the greatest chance of getting the virus, shows that the metropolitan areas are going to be the ones where epidemics can take off. According to Prof. Burkle “…that is exactly where the virus will want to go if it wants to stay alive. If you are living in a rural area where people aren’t living close to each other, the disease is not going to spread.”
The way doctors currently treat patients will fundamentally change to take on a population-based health care approach. He says: “The individual is really not important. My goal is to make sure that every patient will not transmit it to somebody else. In a normal ICU situation, you have a special nurse, two or three other nurses, and a whole team of doctors. In (a pandemic) it will be like Africa. The definition of intensive care of a hospital in Africa is that you might have a nurse that day.”
A shortage of ventilators in Ireland poses a tough question to doctors in deciding who gets to live or die – just as ventilator shortages elsewhere in the world, including the US. Prof. Burkle adds that exclusion criteria must be agreed upon before the event. He adds: “Someone may come in with a cardiac arrest or respiratory arrest because of the disease. Resuscitation is high maintenance. We use a lot of medication and equipment. Chances are, resources will not allow (resuscitation) to happen”.
For additional information on Pandemic preparedness from a business continuity perspective, please feel free to contact Pitsel & Associates Ltd. Calgary, Alberta, (403) 245-0550. “The time to plan is when you have time to plan.”
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