The Canadian Pandemic Influenza Plan for the Health Sector

To alert provinces and territories to increased pandemic conditions so that they can prepare to respond.

To inform provinces and territories of increased risk associated with current situation.

Direct

Proactive

Teleconference, email.

Share communications products.

Verify contact lists.

To provide national spokesperson.

To provide information on national and international situation.

To provide guidance.

Direct

Proactive

Train key spokespersons.

To activate the communications plan for pandemic alert period.

To update and review communications plans and networks.

To provide updates to key stakeholders.
To inform the public.

Direct

Proactive

Preview and update plan as required.

Inform media.

Provide info to key national stakeholders (Canadian Medical Association and other health care provider groups).

Provide statement to media from the Chief Public Health Officer (CPHO).

Deliver media technical briefing.
Launch www.fightflu.ca website.

Email message to key stakeholders, then statement to media.

Share technical briefing materials with SAC Communications Task Group and its F/P/T Communications and Social Marketing Working Groups prior to technical briefing.

Ensure that the web is updated frequently.
Update toll-free line.

Verify translation capacity.

To broaden and intensify communications with ministers and MPs.

To brief ministers across the government on the increased risk and the relevance for their departments.

To ensure that MPs have accurate and consistent information to provide to their constituents.

Direct

Proactive

Update federal ministers.

Brief P/T ministers on PHAC activities to facilitate coordinated messaging.

Provide briefing updates, media lines through the SAC Communications Task Group and its FPT Communications and Social Marketing Working Groups to be adapted as background for P/T ministers.

To share technical and scientific information.

To lead technical communications about the virus strain and the vaccine strategy.

To interpret scientific, laboratory, statistical details.

Direct

Proactive

Update communications products–speaking points, fact sheets, etc.–regularly to reflect changes in scientific data.

Deliver technical briefings, news conferences.

To keep key national stakeholders informed (particularly health care provider organizations).

To ensure that key national stakeholders have accurate information to provide to their audiences/media.

Direct

Proactive

Inform key stakeholder groups of the current situation.

Provide regular updates to key stakeholders to be shared with their specific audiences.

Involve key stakeholders in discussions around communications with audiences, and assessment of the effectiveness of that communication.
Reinforce relationships developed through the planning process.

Update stakeholder lists/database.
Provide email/fax/phone updates.

Post brief articles on stakeholder internal websites, or email to subscribers, etc.

To communicate elevated risk levels to FN and Inuit, in partnership with provinces, territories and partners (see Canadian Pandemic Influenza Plan, Annex B).

To ensure consistent messaging from all levels of government to FN and Inuit.

To ensure that federal messaging regarding FN is communicated clearly to all partner agencies and stakeholders, including national Aboriginal organizations.

To clearly communicate the role of Health Canada versus that of the provinces and territories with regard to the health of FN and Inuit.

Direct, consultative, collaborative.

Work with partners to tailor messages.

Coordinate messages with PHAC, provinces and territories and national Aboriginal organizations.

Share consistent and appropriate information with stakeholders and spokespersons, including information about news conferences, news releases, etc.

Develop, with PHAC, additional communications material to complement P/T material.

Update website as required and link to www.fightflu.ca.

Inclusion of FN and Inuit indicators in ongoing surveillance activities.

To activate communications plans for the pandemic alert phase.

To update and review communications plans and networks.

Provide information to stakeholders and partners.

Direct

Proactive

Update web information.

Prepare information for toll-free lines.

Provide national and regional spokespersons for issues within HC jurisdictions; update media training.

Participation, with PHAC, in media briefings.

Plan for surge capacity and business continuity.

Assess capacity to provide surge support within and outside Health Canada, between and among regional offices and headquarters, to PHAC and other partners as necessary, in areas of media relations, media monitoring, public opinion research, strategic communications, web management.

Provide workplace health and safety guidance to federal/ frontline/overseas workers.

Develop communications materials to fulfil Workplace Health and Safety Program and Office of Emergency Preparedness responsibilities.

Direct

Proactive
Consultative
Collaborative

With PHAC, Labour Canada, Treasury Board and P/Ts, develop materials and maintain broad dissemination via the Internet and departmental extranets.

Provide guidance regarding health care for Internationally Protected Persons.

Provide information to stakeholders and the public.

Direct

Proactive

Web material.

To communicate information concerning vaccines and antiviral medications authorized for use to help protect against the virus.

Provide information for health professionals and the public.

Direct

Proactive

Develop risk communications products for broad distribution.

To provide information concerning counterfeit products found on the Canadian market or the Internet from foreign destinations.

Provide information to health professionals and the public.

Direct

Proactive

Develop risk communications products for broad distribution.

To communicate information concerning adverse reactions to antiviral drugs and all other marketed therapeutic health products used for the prevention or treatment of a pandemic strain of influenza, and actions that should be taken in response.

Develop materials to advise health professionals and the public.

Direct

Proactive

Risk communications products (public advisories and warnings, “Dear Health Professional” letters and others) for broad distribution.

To communicate the elevation of pandemic risk to regional/local partners.

To inform regional/local partners of increased risk associated with the current situation.

Direct

Proactive

Government email, intranet.
Distribute message widely to those involved in emergency response process.

To activate the Communications Annex of the provincial plan.
To encourage coordination.

To update and review communications plans and networks.

Through pre-developed communications networks, to encourage coordinated health region/district plan activation.

To provide updates to key stakeholders.
To inform the public.

Direct

Proactive

Review and update as required throughout this phase.

Inform key P/T stakeholders (prior to media).

Provide info to key P/T stakeholders.

Conduct media technical briefings.

Update website frequently.

Email message to key stakeholders, then statement to media.

Share technical briefing materials with health regions/authorities.

Provide an interactive website for stakeholders.

To coordinate with other departments on the P/T communications response to a pandemic.

To ensure a coordinated communications response for the entire government.

To identify government spokespersons and their areas of expertise.

Direct and consultative

Proactive

Matrix, meetings, workshops.

Key spokespersons coached to communicate technical messages to the public.

Risk communications training.

Key experts list established/shared with media.

To alert municipalities of increased pandemic risk so that they can prepare to respond.

To inform municipalities of increased risk associated with the current situation.

Direct

Proactive

Teleconference, email.

Share communications products.

Verify contact lists.

To identify media spokespersons/experts.

To coach key spokespersons to effectively communicate technical messages to the public.

To provide information on P/T situation.

Direct

Proactive

Provide media and risk communications skills training sessions and/or mock interviews for spokespersons and key experts.

To assess effectiveness of communications activities.

To monitor and analyze media coverage.

To set standards, guidelines and criteria for analyzing communications activities.

Indirect

Proactive

Use media analysis to determine whether further technical briefings or other forms of media relations are necessary.

To broaden and intensify communications with ministers.

To inform key provincial stakeholders.

To provide regular briefing updates for Premier's Office and minister(s).

To provide caucus offices (MPPs/MNAs/ MLAs) with accurate information to pass on to their constituents.

To ensure that key P/T stakeholders have accurate information to provide to their audiences/media.

Direct

Proactive

Use briefing updates, media lines provided through the SAC Communications Task Group and its FPT Communications and Social Marketing Working Groups as background for P/T ministers.

Combine federal updates with P/T information to provide a complete picture for ministers.

Update stakeholder lists/database.

Email/fax/phone updates. Brief articles to be posted on stakeholder internal websites or emailed to membership, etc.

Meetings/conference calls to determine information gaps, next steps.

To share technical and scientific information with health regions/ authorities.
To encourage coordination of provincial/health region or authority/key stakeholder plan activation.

To provide health regions/authorities with technical communications about the virus strain and the vaccine strategy received from PHAC.

To provide the public with consistent and accurate messaging.

Link from provincial website to technical details on PHAC/national pandemic site.
Direct

Proactive

Technical briefings, news conferences (conducted regularly and frequently as required).

Web.

In-depth interviews by experts with P/T health reporters or radio news magazines.

Update communications products−speaking points, fact sheets, etc.−regularly to reflect changes in scientific data.

Discussions through pre-developed communications networks.

Regular meetings/networked conference calls to discuss next steps in plan roll-out.

To design and test public education campaign.

To prepare a public education campaign that resonates with P/T residents.

Direct

Proactive

Research, focus groups, one-on-one interviews.