04 June 2008
Health professionals and business leaders met this week to discuss preparations for a possible outbreak of Pandemic Flu in the Island. A panel of local experts explained the existing plans and provisions in the first of a series of meetings being held to ensure the Island is fully prepared.
The Medical Officer for Health, Dr Rosemary Geller explained: “Pandemic Flu outbreaks occur regularly. There have been three during the last century and we have to be ready for the next. We don’t know when it will happen but we are sure it will. To put this into perspective, Pandemic Flu has been identified as the number one Emergency Planning risk in the UK. As Medical Officer for Health it is my responsibility to make sure the Island is prepared and this means having a plan and reviewing it regularly as new research is available.”
Consultant Microbiologist Dr Ivan Muscat took the audience through a presentation which covered the way a flu virus works and the impact an outbreak would have on the Island. He discussed the implications of the scenario where a third or more of the Island’s population could be affected. Island wide vaccinations and treatment are proposed, and the Emergency Planning Officer, Michael Long, is working out the logistics of vaccinating and distributing medication to all residents.
The meeting was hosted by the Business Continuity Institute and comes after a commitment Jersey made to the ‘British Irish Council Knowledge Economy Group’ to look at how public and private sector contingency planners are co-operating with each other and with emergency planning authorities.
Chairman of the Business Continuity Institute (CI) Forum, Andrew Eeles said: “This event demonstrates the existing co operation between public and private business continuity planners, and shows how they are liaising closely with emergency planning authorities”.
Press Release Wednesday 4th June 2008
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Notes to editors:
1) For further comment please contact:
- Dr Rosemary Geller on 443789
- Andrew Eeles, Chairman, BCI (CI) Forum, on 882066 or 07797710386
2) The members of the panel were:
Dr Ivan Muscat, Consultant Microbiologist and Chair of the Public Health Pandemic Operations Group
Dr Rosemary Geller, Medical Officer of Health and Chair of the Public Health Pandemic Strategy Group
Mr Michael Long, Jersey's Emergency Planning Officer
Mr Andrew Eeles, Chairman of the Business Continuity Institute (Channel islands) Forum
3) The BCI is a world wide professional member owned organisation (not for profit) dedicated to the promotion of the art and science of business continuity. In the UK the Institute has been influential in forming good practice guidelines that have been adopted by government and the British Standards Institute and are also heavily involved with the formulation of international standards.
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