Concurrency in Public Health Governance:The Case of the National Immunization Strategy
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Authors
Keelan, Jennifer E.
Date
2008
Type
working paper
Language
en
Keyword
Public Health 2008
Alternative Title
Abstract
Immunization is an area of public health in which harmonization of policy across Canada is particularly critical. While individuals derive tangible benefits from being immunized, certain protective traits of most routine immunizations emerge when groups of individuals are immunized. This population or herd immunity, achieved by near universal immunization, can be undermined if pockets of susceptible individuals accumulate to a critical mass resulting in an outbreak of infectious disease upon exposure (Fine 1993). Since infectious diseases do not respect political borders, and immunizations do not provide perfect immunity, outbreaks in one jurisdiction increase the risk for infection along lines of contact. If, for example, one province does not immunize its citizens and these citizens migrate to another province, the effectiveness of the immunization program in the province of migration could be undermined.
Description
© IIGR. 2008
Citation
Publisher
Queen's University Institute of Intergovernmental Relations