Cree Health gets kudos for world-class H1N1 vaccination effort
During last year’s flu pandemic, the Cree Health Board achieved the highest rate of vaccination coverage of all the regions of Quebec. In the Cree Territory, 84% of the population over 6 months of age received the vaccine, compared to a provincial average of 57.3%.
This impressive achievement was recognized by the Quebec Institute for Public Administration (IAPQ), which selected the Cree Health Board as one of three finalists in the health services category for the IAPQ Prix d’Excellence de l’Administration Publique du Québec 2010.
This special mention demonstrates that “Cree can do a lot for themselves with the right help and opportunity,” said James Bobbish, Chairman of the Cree Health Board. "This particular campaign proved what we can do. We need flexibility in order to accommodate geographical and cultural differences. We work well with the government and others on common issues."
Surveillance data clearly show that early vaccination of the population and widespread compliance with hand washing and other hygiene measures interrupted the progress of the second wave of the pandemic and had a dramatic impact on the hospitalization rate in our region.
Quick delivery of the vaccination program not only protected a population at risk – it also allowed this remote region to return to delivery of other health care services and reduced demand for specialized services (ICU admissions) in tertiary care settings in other regions.
Lessons learned from the 2009 influenza pandemic will be directly applied to future immunization campaigns and emergency preparedness plans. In addition, communication tools first used in the context of the vaccination campaign are now integrated into our basic health communication toolkit. These tools include partnerships with Cree language radio (JBCCS, CBC North) and use of social media (Twitter feed, Facebook page).
The 2009 Influenza A(H1N1) vaccination campaign will be remembered as a success story for the Cree Board of Health and Social Services of James Bay that illustrates what can be done through a concerted and coordinated effort of all towards the attainment of a goal.
Related link:
