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Officials at All Levels Get Two Thumbs Up in Confidence from Public

Toronto, ON – As countries across the world take precautions to stop the spread of what was coined as swine flu at the outset but is now officially known as H1N1 (as individuals cannot contract the flu from eating swine or hog products), a new poll conducted by Ipsos Reid on behalf of Canwest News Service and Global National has revealed that just one in seven (15%) are ‘very concerned’ with catching the flu – notable considering the alleged pandemic hype. In total, fewer than one half (47%) of Canadians are ‘concerned’ (15% very much/33% somewhat) that ‘they or someone else in their family might contract this flu over the next number of weeks or months’.

Only in Atlantic Canada is a majority (55%) ‘concerned’ that they or someone in their family might contract this new strain of flu, while those in Quebec (48%), Ontario (47%), Alberta (46%), British Columbia (45%), and Saskatchewan/Manitoba (43%) are less likely to be concerned.

While the H1N1 flu has spread from its origins in Mexico to a number of countries across the world, including various provinces across Canada, most Canadians have given their thumbs up in confidence in response to the steps taken by Canadian health organizations at all levels to deal with the situation:

* Most (84%) are ‘confident’ (35% very/49%) somewhat) in the steps taken by local medical and health authorities, while just 14% are ‘not confident’ (5% not at all/9% not really).

* Similarly, most (82%) are ‘confident’ (38% very/44% somewhat) in the steps taken by their local hospital and health facilities, and just 17% are ‘not confident’ (7% not at all/10% not really).

* Eight in ten (81%) are ‘confident’ (28% very/53% somewhat) in the steps taken by the Federal Minister of Health, while only 16% are ‘not confident’ (7% not at all/10% not really) in this regard.

* Similar (77%) levels of confidence (27% very/51% somewhat) have been expressed towards the actions taken by their respective Provincial Ministers of Health, with the highest levels of confidence being reported in Atlantic Canada (87%), followed by Ontario (81%), Saskatchewan and Manitoba (79%), Alberta (74%), Quebec (72%) and British Columbia (72%). Two in ten (19%) are ‘not confident’ (6% not at all/13% not really) in this manner.

* Three quarters (72%) are ‘confident’ (28% strongly/44% somewhat) in the steps taken by their local schools, while two in ten (20%) are ‘not confident’ (7% not at all/13% not really).

* Two in three (68%) are ‘confident’ (22% very/46% somewhat) in the measures taken by border agencies at airports and other entry points. Conversely, three in ten (29%) are ‘not confident’ (10% not at all/19% not really) in the actions taken by these organizations.