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Saskatchewan health regions post information about doctors who are currently taking new patients. Check out our Find a Doctor page. Disease Prevention Pandemic PlanningSaskatchewan's Response to 2009 H1N1 Pandemic - Executive SummaryIn the spring of 2009, a novel strain of influenza virus was identified in Mexico and soon began spreading across continents. That event was the beginning of what became known as the 2009 H1N1 Pandemic Influenza. This document is a summary of Saskatchewan's response and mitigation of the H1N1 influenza in this province. In September, 2009 the Ministry of Health released the Saskatchewan Pandemic Influenza Plan for the Health Care System to guide the pandemic health response. The document aligns closely with the Public Health Agency of Canada's Pandemic Plan. What Worked Well Overall, Saskatchewan's health response to the H1N1 pandemic was very successful with ultimately 50% of the province's population immunized through the mass vaccination campaign delivered through the health regions. By January 2010, H1N1 confirmed cases dwindled to nearly zero, and all influenza viruses disappeared by late winter; a highly unusual occurrence in a normal seasonal influenza cycle, and a testament to the effectiveness of the H1N1 vaccine. Some Highlights The Health Emergency Operations Centre was established in April 2009 to coordinate the activities of the Ministry of Health and its partners. The Population Health Branch was the lead for the initial response with support from other ministry branches. The structure worked very well in managing the response. Some successful items to note:
Areas for Improvement While the response overall worked very well, there are always areas, upon reflection, where adjustments could be made to benefit future potential responses.
Ultimately, the 2009 pandemic response in Saskatchewan resulted in very low levels of disease and death and minimal disruption to the people of the province. In the videos below, Chief Medical Health Officer Dr. Moira McKinnon talks about Saskatchewan's Pandemic response.
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