INFLUENZA

Influenza 

The NCCID led a two-year collaborative project that brought together the expertise of the six NCCs to respond to recognized knowledge gaps regarding the prevention and control of influenza. Together, the NCCs developed a suite of new knowledge products to address these and other issues. The NCCID and its partners asked public health stakeholders, what are the priorities and what types of knowledge projects are most useful? The themes and questions most often mentioned were Vaccines effectiveness, Primary prevention, Rapid diagnostics, Surveillance & burden of illness, Communication & messaging, and Equity. Learn more about each theme here.

Collaborations with other NCCs on this topic 

Several projects were conducted to strengthen the evidence-base and methods used to support public health decisions on when, among whom, and how best to intervene, particularly to avoid severe outcomes of influenza. For more information, visit the Influenza section of the NCCID website.

• The NCC for Indigenous Health produced three papers to understand how influenza, such as the 2009 H1N1 pandemic, is particularly experienced by Indigenous populations in Canada; the knowledge gaps in the epidemiological research related to influenza and Indigenous peoples; and how public health responses can be better tailored to the unique needs and characteristics of Indigenous peoples and communities. The three papers in this series include:
  • The 2009 H1N1 influenza pandemic among First Nations, Inuit and Métis peoples in Canada: Epidemiology and gaps in knowledge (See also: Plain language summary)
  • Determinants of the prevalence and severity of influenza infection in Indigenous populations in Canada (See also: Plain language summary)
  • Pandemic planning in Indigenous communities: Lessons learned from the 2009 H1N1 influenza pandemic in Canada (See also: Plain language summary)
• The NCC for Determinants of Health explored the roles of public health organizations and practitioners in integrating equity concerns into influenza prevention. They have published two case examples that highlight the strategies, collaborative processes, activities, and tools adopted by the Saskatoon Health Region and Manitoba Health, Healthy Living and Seniors to achieve a more equitable distribution of influenza prevention services. To access these case studies, click on the following links:
  • Learning from practice: Equity in influenza prevention in Saskatoon 
  • Learning from practice: Equity in influenza prevention in Manitoba
• The NCC for Environmental Health summarized an overview of specific non-pharmaceutical measures to be used in community settings.
  • This fact sheet includes the types of non-pharmaceutical measures used as well as their benefits, barriers to compliance, and information gaps
• The NCC for Methods and Tools summarized the evidence from systematic reviews to assess the effectiveness of strategies that aim to increase vaccination rates among healthcare workers.
  • To download this publication, click here. 

For more information, and for resources from this project, click here.