From the most recent issue of Strategic Change’s newsletter, Michael Schiel on “What the H1N1 Panic Can Teach Us“:

“As the public panic begins to subside over the H1N1 vaccination response by Federal and Provincial governments, there is a good chance that calmer heads will prevail. If one takes a systemic point of view, some important organizational, policy or process lessons can be garnered.

When you filter through the hype, some of the important aspects include:

• Challenges with Estimating Demand – Although much of the reporting in the media has been hyperbolic, it is clear that the provinces have had some trouble in figuring out in advance how much supply was required.
• Challenges with Supply Side – The Federal Government was somewhat hamstrung as there was only one supplier of the vaccine, and they had issues meeting the changing needs of the government and the populace.
• Supply Logistics – There were many indicators that public health organizations had some trouble determining the best approach to supplying the vaccine, as evidenced by mixed messages, the allowance of queue jumping at many places, and the inability of some clinics to realistically handle the crowds.

What does all of this mean?

• Leadership is Complex - In a recent report, the Auditor General found that “defining a leadership role when each department responds to its own ministerial direction, and coordinating that direction with other departments can be a challenge”. I have seen this before on other large multi-ministry or inter-jurisdictional projects too. From a change management perspective, it is important to determine clear leadership links in advance, or at least to widely declare them if they need to be created on the fly.
• Roles and Responsibility – Thee Auditor General also found that “…while Public Safety Canada played a coordination role in some emergencies it has yet to establish the policies and programs that would help define its leadership and coordination role for emergency management in an all-hazards environment”. More thought and effort will need to go into planning for coordination across different jurisdictions.
• Communication is Key - One of the biggest challenges has been conflicting and changing messages from the government. It would be wise in future events for a calm, strategic approach to communication to be used. People resist change naturally, and one of the best ways to overcome that resistance is a more effective communication strategy.
• Forecasting – A key lesson here is that when planning for future external events like pandemics, public sector organizations will need to continue to find better ways to estimate what the public response will be.
• Need for Engaged and Experienced Staff – The area of Public Safety Canada that was responsible for planning and responding to the pandemic had an employee vacancy rate of 39 percent in the 2008-09 fiscal year, and a vacancy rate of 50 percent the previous year. Numerous studies exist on the difficulties that the Federal Government has faced in engaging staff during the 1990s and 2000s, and several reform efforts during that time have only partially eased some of the issues. Clearly it is hard to expect top level service delivery with low levels of staff, and one can imagine the existing staff are also overworked and somewhat stressed.
• Flexibility – It must be remembered though, that no amount of planning would be able to accurately foretell what the public reaction would be. The public changed its mind dramatically as the pandemic unfolded, and the various levels of government did their best to adjust their vaccination program rollout accordingly. Patience, openness and flexibility are key characteristics to achieve success during events like this.”

CDC warns: Holiday could bring more swine flu

Swine flu pandemic peaks in Ukraine

After three weeks of panic, pandemonium and politics, the initial swine flu pandemic in Ukraine has peaked.

Today the government is expected to end a nationwide ban on public gatherings, lift travel restrictions and order the reopening of parliament, schools and universities in all but 11 regions.

But the country, with its anemic health-care system, is still reeling from having 1.6 million people fall sick with the flu, resulting in the hospitalization of 97,000 people and the deaths of 388 in three weeks.

Full Article: here.

Business Groups Oppose Emergency H1N1 Paid Sick Leave

Public health officials say the H1N1 flu pandemic is exacerbated by employees going into work sick because they don’t get paid time off. But a representative from the business community told Congress on Tuesday to stay out of it.

House Education and Labor Committee Chairman George Miller (D-Calif.) is pushing an emergency bill that would require employers with more than 15 workers to provide up to five days of paid sick leave.

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According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 39 percent of workers in the private sector do not receive paid sick leave.

Full Article: here.

As of yesterday, Ontario has expanded its H1N1 priority list to include frontline responders (e.g. police, firefighters, correctional workers) as well as seniors over the age 65 who have chronic conditions and live in long-term care institutions. This shortly after Montreal’s The Gazette ran a story wondering why seniors weren’t considered a priority group for the vaccine (see excerpt below).

Why aren’t seniors an H1N1 priority? critics ask

Senior citizens left off the government’s swine-flu vaccination priority list say they are victims of discrimination.

With the average age of those dying from H1N1 complication in Quebec being 63.9, many seniors have called The Gazette to say the vaccine priorities are “criminal” and one person suggested it was “Canada’s new pension plan.”

Most of those who have succumbed to swine flu have had underlying health issues, yet seniors over 65 – a group known to have multiple health problems – have been left off the roster until the end of the campaign.

Full Article: here.

A closer look at how the virus works

The Globe & Mail breaks down the different stages of the H1N1 virus, including warning signs that require special medical attention.

Full Article: here.

WHO calls for ‘close’ watch on flu in farmers, animals

The World Health Organisation on Friday called for closer monitoring of farm workers and animals for influenza A viruses, following recent cases in a wider range of creatures than pigs

Although the WHO stressed that the cases were isolated and had no impact on the way the A(H1N1) swine flu pandemic evolved in humans, the UN health agency said recent findings may indicate broader potential for flu viruses to mix and mutate.

Pigs have traditionally acted as virtual mixing vessels for different flu viruses, allowing them to mutate into new forms that could be passed to humans.

Full Article: here

Toronto doctor says he regrets urging flu shot for hospital board

Board members at Mount Sinai Hospital were offered the vaccine last Monday, the first day it became available, despite public health officials advising only those who were most vulnerable to line up for the shots.

Donald Low, chief microbiologist at the hospital, said a clinic was set up on the first floor for staff and others. There was no word of a vaccine shortage at the time.

“It happened to be the same day that there was a board meeting at the hospital. And I encouraged board members to get the shot,” Dr. Low said today. “There was no indication that there would be any shortage.”

“What seemed like a good idea at the time was a bad idea. And you got to pay the price for it.”

Full Article: here

More Toronto hospital execs given H1N1 shot

The lineup of people in Toronto who have jumped the queue for their H1N1 vaccination is longer than first thought.

Already it has been revealed that members of the board of directors at Toronto’s Mount Sinai Hospital were offered the shot last week, before it was available to people in the province’s high-risk groups.

Now CBC News has learned the board members of the University Health Network — which represents Princess Margaret, Toronto Western and Toronto General — and St. Michael’s Hospital have also had their shots.

Full Article: here

Vaccinating NHL Hockey Teams – Let’s Find a Scapegoat

As the slow, cumbersome and often incompetent roll out of the hiney (H1N1) vaccine continues, Canadians are looking for someone to get mad at.

Right on cue, the Calgary Flames have stepped into the breach. Earlier this week, the public learned that the Calgary Flames and their families had a special vaccine clinic of their own – ahead of pregnant women, young kids and people with underlying medical problems. An Alberta health official identified as “the most senior staff member involved” in the decision to allow the vaccination of members of the Flames and their families was fired.

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But please don’t blame the Flames, the Leafs or the Raptors. They didn’t jump the queue. To conclude they did so is to assume there was an orderly queue to begin with. We now know that the roll out of the vaccine—contrary to assertions by David Butler Jones, head of the Public Health Agency of Canada – has been anything but praiseworthy. It has been marked by confusion and lack of co-ordination.

Full Article: here

Panic in Ukraine over swine flu

Officials in Ukraine have closed schools for three weeks, imposed travel restrictions and are limiting public events as the country battles to stop the spread of swine flu.

More than 60 people are believed to have died of respiratory problems in the past week, and the measures are among the toughest to be implemented in Europe to tackle the virus.

Full Article: here