Evidence of meeting #40 for Health in the 40th Parliament, 2nd Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was h1n1.
A recording is available from Parliament.
5:05 p.m.
Conservative
5:05 p.m.
Acting Assistant Deputy Minister, Infectious Disease and Emergency Preparedness Branch, Public Health Agency of Canada
Oui, avec plaisir. Merci beaucoup.
There are several questions, but I think I can group them in about three groups.
On the question on immunocompromised people--people who are taking steroids and all these things, patients with HIV or whatever--in fact, they are the ones who should be immunized. The reason is, first, that the vaccine is safe. It is an inactivated virus. It is dead, basically, so it cannot cause infection. It cannot give you the flu.
The thing is that between the adjuvanted and the non-adjuvanted vaccine, the adjuvanted vaccine is even better for the person who is immunocompromised and who has any health condition of that sort, because the adjuvanted vaccine, the studies have shown, is more efficient in creating immunities than the non-adjuvanted. We know that the problem for the immunocompromised and, let's say, young children, for example, is that they have an immune system that is suboptimal. To give them the best chance to boost the immune system, the adjuvanted vaccine is better.
5:05 p.m.
Acting Assistant Deputy Minister, Infectious Disease and Emergency Preparedness Branch, Public Health Agency of Canada
I'm sorry, autoimmunity is the same. All the groups of autoimmune diseases--that would be lupus, a form of arthritis, with steroids, long-term steroids, HIV, any of them, kidney transplants--all these people, in fact, are at very high risk, if they're infected, of being severely ill, of going to the ICU, and even of dying, because they are among those who have had deaths. So should they vaccinate with the vaccine? Yes, yes, yes, yes. The adjuvant is the best, and that's the reason Canada has the adjuvant. They will have even better protection.
5:05 p.m.
Acting Assistant Deputy Minister, Infectious Disease and Emergency Preparedness Branch, Public Health Agency of Canada
The second group is pregnant women. The thing is that there was already some information released last week by us, as well as by the Society of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists. We have been working very closely with them and also with the provinces and territories on some guidelines.
Based on the recommendations from WHO, the World Health Organization, pregnant women need to be vaccinated. The two vaccines are recommended for pregnant women, according to WHO. But during the summer, in August, what happened was that WHO recommended to its member states that they offer an option to pregnant women. If possible, offer non-adjuvanted vaccine, the reason being that the data available on women who have had the adjuvanted vaccine is not as complete. But that was an option, stressing that both can be given to pregnant women. In fact, several countries that only have adjuvanted vaccine are giving the adjuvanted vaccine to pregnant women.
Right now, the recommendation for your lady friend who is 20 weeks pregnant is that she should be immunized. The information is there and has been very consistent.
5:05 p.m.
Liberal
5:05 p.m.
Bloc
Luc Malo Bloc Verchères—Les Patriotes, QC
Thank you very much, Madam Chair.
Do you want to finish what you were saying? I will ask my questions afterwards.
5:05 p.m.
Acting Assistant Deputy Minister, Infectious Disease and Emergency Preparedness Branch, Public Health Agency of Canada
To complete the answer to Madam Duncan's question, from what I'm seeing, the information is there. A woman at 20 weeks pregnancy could easily be offered the adjuvanted vaccine.
5:10 p.m.
Conservative
5:10 p.m.
Bloc
Luc Malo Bloc Verchères—Les Patriotes, QC
If I may, I would like to talk about travel advice. In the spring, certain countries would not allow passengers arriving from targeted countries, including Canada, to travel within their borders.
Are those international travel restrictions currently lifted? Could countries prevent certain travellers from entering if they have not been vaccinated against H1N1, for example?
5:10 p.m.
Acting Assistant Deputy Minister, Infectious Disease and Emergency Preparedness Branch, Public Health Agency of Canada
I can answer that.
First, let's talk about the travel restrictions that were put in place at the beginning of the outbreak, when the first cases were diagnosed, in Mexico, the US and Canada, for example. At the time, transmission of the virus was associated with people travelling. It became very clear, however, that once the virus had entered our country, transmission was more community-based. Travel no longer mattered; it was no longer even a factor because we were spreading the virus amongst ourselves. Travel restrictions were therefore lifted, as there is no longer any reason for them. This is a pandemic, which means that the virus has now spread to every country in the world. Travel restrictions became irrelevant some time ago.
5:10 p.m.
Acting Assistant Deputy Minister, Infectious Disease and Emergency Preparedness Branch, Public Health Agency of Canada
As for your second question, can certain countries restrict entry to people if they have not been vaccinated? Yes, we are aware of that happening. We received information from the Department of Foreign Affairs to the effect that Saudi Arabia, for example, is going to require people entering the country to provide proof of vaccination. Certain countries are making such requests. It is a possibility. But we will not do that in Canada.
5:10 p.m.
Bloc
Luc Malo Bloc Verchères—Les Patriotes, QC
You have recommended that crew members avoid using gloves, masks, face masks and eye protection in most situations. Why is that?
5:10 p.m.
Acting Assistant Deputy Minister, Infectious Disease and Emergency Preparedness Branch, Public Health Agency of Canada
Simply because that is not really the best way to protect oneself. It would be more effective for the infected person to wear a mask. Having the passenger wear the mask would be more acceptable, for instance. To our mind, walking around the aircraft in a mask is not very effective.
5:10 p.m.
Bloc
Luc Malo Bloc Verchères—Les Patriotes, QC
When you say gloves, do you really mean medical gloves and masks?
5:10 p.m.
Acting Assistant Deputy Minister, Infectious Disease and Emergency Preparedness Branch, Public Health Agency of Canada
Yes, I am talking about masks like the ones we see in hospitals.
5:10 p.m.
Bloc
Luc Malo Bloc Verchères—Les Patriotes, QC
Thank you for clarifying that.
My next question is for Ms. Chatigny. Today, I received one of those emails you send out to everyone in your address book. The purpose of the email was to restate the facts in response to messages sent out by other groups telling people not to worry about the flu. It just gave the simple facts, as you said earlier. It did not say whether the flu shot was a good idea or not, but it just described the symptoms, steps you should follow and measures to take if you have symptoms.
Does your communication plan include a similar mass email? Do you see that as a way to counter all the other messages going around the Internet?
