|
Chinook's Edge School Division No. 73
Pandemic Influenza Plan
|
Pandemic Preparedness
Chinook's Edge is currently at Phase 4 of our Business Continuity Plan
|
Chinook’s Edge School Division is taking a leading role in preparedness for the possibility of a global pandemic. We have been working with a multi-disciplinary committee, which includes health experts, School Administrators and Division Office Administrators, in an effort to gather and disseminate information, create a detailed strategic plan, and launch a Hand Washing Campaign as a preventative measure.
Communication to Parents
If you have difficulty viewing or downloading these files, click here for download help.
Chinook's Edge School Division No. 73 Pandemic Plan
Preventing the Spread of Pandemic Influenza
Preparing for Pandemic Influenza
Frequently Asked Questions
Links and Resources
What is Pandemic Influenza?
A pandemic (a global epidemic) influenza occurs when a novel influenza virus strain emerges with an ability to efficiently spread in human populations and cause significant morbidity (illness) and mortality (death). Since the 1500’s, pandemic influenzas have occurred 3 to 4 times per century. In the last century, there were three pandemics: The ‘Spanish Flu’ of 1918 (H1N1), the ‘Asian Flu’ of 1957 (H2N2) and the ‘Hong Kong Flu’ of 1968 (H3N2).
A new influenza strain – influenza A (H5N1) – is spreading through bird populations across Asia, Africa and Europe, infecting domesticated birds, including ducks and chickens, and long-range migratory birds. The first recorded appearance of H5N1 in humans occurred in Hong Kong in 1997. Since then, the virus has infected over 387 people of which 247 have died resulting a mortality rate of approximately 63 percent (as of April 30, 2008).
** UPDATE: In late April 2009, a different strain of a new influenza (H1N1) began spreading from Mexico. The World Health Organization raised their level of pandemic alert on April 29 and Chinook's Edge implemented our Business Continuity for Pandemic Plan at Phase 4 on April 30, 2009. Although we are not restricting travel at this time except to Mexico, staff at our schools are implementing the other actions identified in Phase 4. Our priority, as always, is the safety and well-being of our students and staff. All services at our schools (classes, bussing, extra-curricular activities) are continuing as usual at this time, but with a heightened vigilance to mitigating the spread of illness. If students have influenza-like symptoms, we are asking parents not to send them to school. If a student comes down with symptoms while at school, they will be isolated from other students until arrangements can be made for their parents to pick them up. The most up-to-date information to parents is included at the top of this section under "Communication to Parents". All other information on this pandemic page refers to the H5N1 virus, because that was the strain the experts believed would lead to the next global pandemic. **
At this time, the H5N1 virus is primarily an animal disease. Human infections have been the result of individuals directly in contact with poultry infected with H5N1. If the virus develops the capacity for sustained, efficient, human to human transmission however, it could result in a pandemic.
We know that another pandemic influenza is inevitable but its timing and epidemiology (the incidence, distribution, and control of a disease in a population) is unpredictable. Given our increased globalization, a pandemic influenza is likely to reach Canada in less than 3 months of being determined elsewhere in the world.
.