When an influenza pandemic occurs it will likely spread rapidly to all communities in Ontario. A pandemic will trigger implementation of the Canadian Pandemic Influenza Plan (CPIP), the Ontario Health Plan for an Influenza Pandemic (OHPIP), and local pandemic contingency plans developed during the pre-pandemic and pandemic alert phases.

Response measures will be determined by the epidemiology of the pandemic, the age distribution and severity of the illness, and the efficiency of transmission from human to human. Ontario's response plan for the health care system is based on the best planning assumptions and estimates currently available and may have to be modified if the epidemiology of the outbreak is significantly different than anticipated.

Preparedness planning is essential to ensure that all parts of the health care system have in place the systems and procedures that will allow Ontario to identify an influenza pandemic early and minimize its impact.

Appropriate planning can reduce the extent of the outbreak as well as morbidity and mortality rates. It is vital that every jurisdiction be prepared to mobilize resources quickly and effectively to contain the spread of an influenza pandemic and limit its impact. Because viruses easily pass through and across borders, efforts to manage an influenza pandemic occur at all levels: internationally, nationally, provincially and locally.

For more information on pandemic planning and the provincial plan, please access the 2007 OHPIP through the menu bar on the left side of this page.

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