Health Committee on Nov. 4th, 2009

[The Vice-Chair, Liberal, Joyce Murray]

Thank you, Dr. Butler-Jones.

Ms. Woods.

[Shelagh Jane Woods, Director General, Primary Health Care and Public Health Directorate, First Nations and Inuit Health Branch, Department of Health]

I'll be very brief in my remarks and let you know what the state of play is with first nations communities.

Based on FluWatch as of October 24, we are seeing increased levels of influenza-like illness in B.C., Alberta, Saskatchewan, the Northwest Territories, and Newfoundland. Overall, the levels of influenza-like illness in first nations communities are following a pattern similar to that observed in B.C., Alberta, and Saskatchewan. Most of the cases for on-reserve first nations continue to be mild. And we, of course, will continue to monitor the activity in the community nursing stations.

The immunization program is well under way. Some of the clinics started October 26. This of course depended on the supply of vaccine from the provinces and the provincial sequencing.

I'm happy to say that in the first few days of the vaccine rollout, mass clinics were held in more than 135 first nations communities. We're happy to report that in the case of our region in Alberta, for example, clinics have been held in all 44 first nations communities. They had administered 22,000 doses of vaccine as of late last week, and I know from talking to my regional colleagues today that it's even more now.

We're very happy to see that the response to the clinics has been very positive and that the clinics are generally very well attended. Community leadership has been absolutely invaluable. Volunteers are visible, supporting mass immunization efforts. This is not to exclude people from Health Canada; our health professionals have gone to help their colleagues in three regions.

Despite delays in the rollout of some clinics, we're still looking toward our original timelines of having clinics complete their round of vaccines--this is all of them--by mid- to late November. We hope to be able to finish up required second doses in December.

We will continue to keep committee members updated regarding the vaccine rollout, because I know you're interested in it. So far, though, we're very happy with what's happened.

Thank you.

[The Vice-Chair, Liberal, Joyce Murray]

Thank you.

Ms. Chatigny, do you have a presentation as well?

[Elaine Chatigny, Director General, Communications, Public Health Agency of Canada]

No, I don't have a presentation per se. I just normally update on some of our activities week-to-week.

All I wanted to say this week is that we have successfully delivered our direct-mail pamphlet to 10 million Canadian households. It provides important information on symptoms and on what to do if you're sick. It also talks about our preparedness guide.

In a five- or six-day period at 1-800-O-Canada at Service Canada, we received well over 27,000 calls from Canadians requesting the guide. And because of the interest in the guide, which has been ordered through 1-800-O-Canada and picked up at Canada Post outlets across the country, we've had to reprint two million more. So that totals 3.2 million preparedness guides that will have been produced and distributed by the agency.

Clearly, we're reaching millions of Canadians. Over the weeks, I have updated the number of hits to our website. Since April we've seen more than four million visits by Canadians looking for information on H1N1. And we have produced multiple fact sheets for at-risk groups. We have more information on symptoms, and of course all the links to all the provinces and territories so that Canadians can be informed about activities across the country, not only in their own jurisdiction.

That's all I wanted to update you on today about our activities. Of course, we will be providing you with an update of the document we tabled last week. It will give you more statistics in terms of all our communications outreach.

Thank you.

[The Chair, Conservative, Joy Smith]

Thank you very much.

I want to thank the vice-chairs, Ms. Murray and Ms. Wasylycia-Leis, for so kindly filling the chair for me for a while.

We're going to go into the first round. We're going to do seven minutes, questions and answers.

We will start with Dr. Bennett.

[Carolyn Bennett, Liberal, St. Paul's, ON]

Thank you, Madam Chair.

My first question is for Shelagh Jane.

You sent the vaccines to the provinces and are now counting on the provinces to get them to the remote and isolated communities. Is that correct? But I'm hearing today that northern Ontario has received about half of what they expected, and no pediatric needles, so they're having to immunize babies and children with adult needles.

[Shelagh Jane Woods]

I can answer part of it, not all of it, Dr. Bennett.

We don't rely on the provinces to get the supplies and the vaccines to the remote clinics; we rely on our own supply chain. We're following the same route we follow with seasonal vaccine, so in most cases there hasn't been an interruption. I know there was an unfortunate case in Ontario where one small shipment of vaccine froze, but ordinarily it isn't a problem.

I do know there appeared to be a shortage yesterday in some of the communities in northern Ontario, but there were 4,300 additional doses in Sioux Lookout to be sent out today to the various communities, so I think we're okay on that one.

I don't know anything about the pediatric needles, but of course we will look into that right away.

[Carolyn Bennett, Liberal, St. Paul's, ON]

Okay.

Elaine, I wonder whether all members of Parliament have received a copy of the brochure.

[Elaine Chatigny]

I know that we had provided some PDF files. I'll backtrack on that and find out from our parliamentary affairs, and I'll ask them to get back to you....

Marla has just confirmed that they were sent to all MPs and senators.

[Carolyn Bennett, Liberal, St. Paul's, ON]

I think on the debate on Monday night there was a concern that because, still, members of Parliament never got the camera-ready art to actually send out ten percenters—we were just referred to the website—that this never happened.

It seems that only...that it was a problem in terms of us being able to help.

[Elaine Chatigny]

I think perhaps we're talking about two different products. I'm sorry if I'm misunderstanding you.

[Carolyn Bennett, Liberal, St. Paul's, ON]

Oh, it's two different products, for sure. It's just that all summer we were offering to send out ten percenters. We didn't get the camera-ready art, so that didn't happen.

In terms of the emergency guide, was that sent to members of Parliament?

[Elaine Chatigny]

I'm sorry, could you repeat your question, please?

[Carolyn Bennett, Liberal, St. Paul's, ON]

Was the emergency guide sent to members of Parliament?

[Elaine Chatigny]

The preparedness guide? That's what was sent.

[Carolyn Bennett, Liberal, St. Paul's, ON]

Were there any sent to constituency offices--a box of them or anything?

[Elaine Chatigny]

Not specifically to constituency offices, no.

[Dr. David Butler-Jones]

They were if they requested them.

[Elaine Chatigny]

Oh, well, certainly.

[Carolyn Bennett, Liberal, St. Paul's, ON]

I think maybe people would feel a bit better, particularly in the constituency offices, to actually have the hard copy there to refer to. I think they're getting a lot of questions. If people wanted to come down there instead of the post office, maybe that would make us feel a little better in terms of providing it.

I do want to ask David something. The 2004 pandemic preparedness plan articulated that there would be at least two suppliers for purchasing the vaccines. I just wonder why the 2006 plan changed.

[Dr. David Butler-Jones]

We've only ever had the one contract for pandemic vaccine. That's with what is now GSK, previously Shire and ID Biomedical. There's never been another contractor. There was never someone else who was available to produce the vaccine domestically. There still isn't.

[Carolyn Bennett, Liberal, St. Paul's, ON]

I guess the feeling was that when it comes time to purchase the vaccine, there was, in 2004, an articulation of why it would be important to buy from two companies. And in the contract, I believe it does say you can buy from another company.

Anyway, I'll give it over to Joyce Murray, because she has a specific Olympic question.

[Joyce Murray, Liberal, Vancouver Quadra, BC]

Thank you.

About three weeks ago I spoke with the medical health officer who is responsible for a quarter of B.C.'s population and for the Olympic plan for preparedness for H1N1. She said that the plan is in place, that it is a good plan, but there is no funding for it.

Dr. Butler-Jones, I asked you at a previous committee meeting whether there was funding to assist in delivering inoculations. You said resources wouldn't be a problem. Certainly three weeks ago that was not the experience of the people in charge in British Columbia who were concerned about the $20 million to $30 million to actually deliver mass vaccination to 70% of the public.

Has anything changed in the three weeks since I heard the concern that there is no funding for mass vaccinations in the health authority and they aren't sure how they are going to do it?

[Dr. David Butler-Jones]

There are two things. One is the question you asked me with regard to additional antivirals for the Olympics. There's no shortage of antivirals. We have abundance in the national stockpile. The province chose to buy some additional, rather than accessing the national stockpile.

In terms of all the provinces and territories providing immunizations, in all cases we have committed with the provinces and territories, depending on how things evolve, to have that conversation after the fact as to what's needed. In the meantime, everybody is using whoever they have, and we don't have anybody else in the drawer to pull out.

[The Chair, Conservative, Joy Smith]

Thank you, Dr. Butler-Jones.

Thank you, Ms. Murray.

We'll now go to Monsieur Dufour.