Bonnie J. Fraser Henry (born )
is a
Canadian
Canadians (french: Canadiens) are people identified with the country of Canada. This connection may be residential, legal, historical or cultural. For most Canadians, many (or all) of these connections exist and are collectively the source of ...
physician who is the Provincial Health Officer for
British Columbia
British Columbia (commonly abbreviated as BC) is the westernmost province of Canada, situated between the Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mountains. It has a diverse geography, with rugged landscapes that include rocky coastlines, sandy beaches, ...
, the first woman in this position. Henry is also a clinical associate professor at the
University of British Columbia
The University of British Columbia (UBC) is a public university, public research university with campuses near Vancouver and in Kelowna, British Columbia. Established in 1908, it is British Columbia's oldest university. The university ranks a ...
. She was a family doctor and is a specialist in
public health
Public health is "the science and art of preventing disease, prolonging life and promoting health through the organized efforts and informed choices of society, organizations, public and private, communities and individuals". Analyzing the det ...
and
preventive medicine
Preventive healthcare, or prophylaxis, consists of measures taken for the purposes of disease prevention.Hugh R. Leavell and E. Gurney Clark as "the science and art of preventing disease, prolonging life, and promoting physical and mental hea ...
(also known as
community medicine
Public health is "the science and art of preventing disease, prolonging life and promoting health through the organized efforts and informed choices of society, organizations, public and private, communities and individuals". Analyzing the det ...
).
Her early handling of the
COVID-19 pandemic in British Columbia
The COVID-19 pandemic in British Columbia forms part of an ongoing worldwide pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), a novel infectious disease caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). On January 28, 202 ...
earned praise from the ''
New York Times
''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid d ...
'' in June 2020.
In August, September, and October 2020, Henry was criticized for not mandating public mask usage and BC's back-to-school plans.
In November and December concerns were raised regarding the lack of transparency around COVID-19 data.
In December 2021 she was criticized for previous claims that COVID mostly spreads by droplets instead of aerosols.
A book written by Bonnie Henry and Lynn Henry was released in February 2021 called ''Be Kind, Be Calm, Be Safe''. It describes the four early weeks of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Early life and education
Born in
Fredericton,
New Brunswick
New Brunswick (french: Nouveau-Brunswick, , locally ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada. It is one of the three Maritime provinces and one of the four Atlantic provinces. It is the only province with both English and ...
, Henry grew up in
Charlottetown
Charlottetown is the capital and largest city of the Canadian province of Prince Edward Island, and the county seat of Queens County. Named after Queen Charlotte, Charlottetown was an unincorporated town until it was incorporated as a city in ...
,
Prince Edward Island
Prince Edward Island (PEI; ) is one of the thirteen Provinces and territories of Canada, provinces and territories of Canada. It is the smallest province in terms of land area and population, but the most densely populated. The island has seve ...
, where her mother, father, sister, niece, and nephew live.
Her father was a major in the Canadian Army; the family lived in many different locations due to his postings, including
Calgary
Calgary ( ) is the largest city in the western Canadian province of Alberta and the largest metro area of the three Prairie Provinces. As of 2021, the city proper had a population of 1,306,784 and a metropolitan population of 1,481,806, makin ...
,
St. John's, and the
Netherlands
)
, anthem = ( en, "William of Nassau")
, image_map =
, map_caption =
, subdivision_type = Sovereign state
, subdivision_name = Kingdom of the Netherlands
, established_title = Before independence
, established_date = Spanish Netherl ...
. Henry is the second-oldest of four daughters.
In 1986, Henry received a
BSc
A Bachelor of Science (BS, BSc, SB, or ScB; from the Latin ') is a bachelor's degree awarded for programs that generally last three to five years.
The first university to admit a student to the degree of Bachelor of Science was the University ...
(Honours) from
Mount Allison University
Mount Allison University (also Mount A or MtA) is a Canadian primarily undergraduate liberal arts university located in Sackville, New Brunswick, founded in 1839.
Like other liberal arts colleges in North America, Mount Allison does not parti ...
in
Sackville, New Brunswick. In 1990, Henry earned her
Doctor of Medicine
Doctor of Medicine (abbreviated M.D., from the Latin language, Latin ''Medicinae Doctor'') is a medical degree, the meaning of which varies between different jurisdictions. In the United States, and some other countries, the M.D. denotes a profes ...
degree from
Dalhousie University Faculty of Medicine
The Faculty of Medicine at Dalhousie University, also known as Dalhousie Medical School, is a medical school and faculty of Dalhousie University in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada.
The Faculty of Medicine has operated continuously since 1868 and is o ...
in
Halifax, Nova Scotia
Halifax is the capital and largest municipality of the Canadian province of Nova Scotia, and the largest municipality in Atlantic Canada. As of the 2021 Census, the municipal population was 439,819, with 348,634 people in its urban area. The ...
. From 1996 to 1999, Henry did a residency in
preventive medicine
Preventive healthcare, or prophylaxis, consists of measures taken for the purposes of disease prevention.Hugh R. Leavell and E. Gurney Clark as "the science and art of preventing disease, prolonging life, and promoting physical and mental hea ...
at the
University of California, San Diego
The University of California, San Diego (UC San Diego or colloquially, UCSD) is a public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in San Diego, California. Established in 1960 near the pre-existing Scripps Insti ...
. In 1999, she earned an
MPH degree in
epidemiology
Epidemiology is the study and analysis of the distribution (who, when, and where), patterns and determinants of health and disease conditions in a defined population.
It is a cornerstone of public health, and shapes policy decisions and evidenc ...
from
San Diego State University
San Diego State University (SDSU) is a public research university in San Diego, California. Founded in 1897 as San Diego Normal School, it is the third-oldest university and southernmost in the 23-member California State University (CSU) system ...
.
In 2001, Henry completed a residency in
public health
Public health is "the science and art of preventing disease, prolonging life and promoting health through the organized efforts and informed choices of society, organizations, public and private, communities and individuals". Analyzing the det ...
and preventive medicine at the
University of Toronto
The University of Toronto (UToronto or U of T) is a public research university in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, located on the grounds that surround Queen's Park. It was founded by royal charter in 1827 as King's College, the first institution ...
in Ontario, Canada.
Career
During her third year of her medical degree at Dalhousie, Henry enlisted in the
Royal Canadian Navy
The Royal Canadian Navy (RCN; french: Marine royale canadienne, ''MRC'') is the naval force of Canada. The RCN is one of three environmental commands within the Canadian Armed Forces. As of 2021, the RCN operates 12 frigates, four attack submar ...
and served as a medical officer after graduating.
She served for ten years at
CFB Esquimalt
Canadian Forces Base Esquimalt (CFB Esquimalt) is Canada's Pacific Coast naval base and home port to Maritime Forces Pacific and Joint Task Force Pacific Headquarters. , 4,411 military personnel and 2,762 civilians work at CFB Esquim ...
, located in Victoria, B.C. on
Vancouver Island
Vancouver Island is an island in the northeastern Pacific Ocean and part of the Canadian Provinces and territories of Canada, province of British Columbia. The island is in length, in width at its widest point, and in total area, while are o ...
.
In the early 2000s, Henry served as part of the
World Health Organization
The World Health Organization (WHO) is a specialized agency of the United Nations responsible for international public health. The WHO Constitution states its main objective as "the attainment by all peoples of the highest possible level of h ...
–
UNICEF
UNICEF (), originally called the United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund in full, now officially United Nations Children's Fund, is an agency of the United Nations responsible for providing Humanitarianism, humanitarian and Devel ...
polio eradication programme in
Pakistan
Pakistan ( ur, ), officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan ( ur, , label=none), is a country in South Asia. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by population, fifth-most populous country, with a population of almost 24 ...
. She continued to work with the World Health Organization in 2001, moving to
Uganda
}), is a landlocked country in East Africa
East Africa, Eastern Africa, or East of Africa, is the eastern subregion of the African continent. In the United Nations Statistics Division scheme of geographic regions, 10-11-(16*) territor ...
to support their efforts to tackle the
Ebola virus disease. Henry helped to establish the ''
Canada Pandemic Influenza Plan Canada's Pandemic Influenza Plan was released most recently in 2017 by the Canadian Pandemic Influenza Preparedness (CPIP) Task Group. It is available as an periodically updated webpage. It is available in pdf format.
__TOC__
Numbers
The CPIP docum ...
'', which contains recommendations for health-related activities during the spread of a virus.
In September 2001, Henry joined the
Toronto Public Health
Toronto Public Health (TPH) is the public health unit in Toronto, Ontario. It is responsible for delivering public health programs and services, enforcing public health regulations and advising Toronto City Council on health issues. The current u ...
authority as an associate medical officer of health, where she led the Emergency Services Unit and the Communicable Disease Liaison Unit. In this capacity she was operational lead of the response to the
severe acute respiratory syndrome
Severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) is a viral respiratory disease of zoonotic origin caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV or SARS-CoV-1), the first identified strain of the SARS coronavirus species, ''sev ...
(SARS) and
Influenza A virus subtype H1N1
In virology, influenza A virus subtype H1N1 (A/H1N1) is a subtype of influenza A virus. Major outbreaks of H1N1 strains in humans include the Spanish flu, the 1977 Russian flu pandemic and the 2009 swine flu pandemic. It is an orthomyxovirus ...
outbreaks in Toronto.
From 2005 to 2007, Henry worked as a physician epidemiologist at the
BC Centre for Disease Control. From 2007 to 2014, she was the medical director of Public Health Emergency Management while also working as medical director of Communicable Disease Prevention and Control starting in 2011.
She helped Canada to plan and police the
2010 Winter Olympics
)''
, nations = 82
, athletes = 2,626
, events = 86 in 7 sports (15 disciplines)
, opening = February 12, 2010
, closing = February 28, 2010
, opened_by = Governor General Michaëlle Jean
, cauldron = Catriona Le May DoanNancy GreeneWayne Gretz ...
.
In December 2013, Henry was made interim provincial executive medical director of the
BC Centre for Disease Control.
She was made Deputy Provincial Health Officer in August 2014, a position she held for three years.
She helped to lead British Columbia through a catastrophic wildfire season, which impacted the air quality, as well as advising the
Government of Canada
The government of Canada (french: gouvernement du Canada) is the body responsible for the federal administration of Canada. A constitutional monarchy, the Crown is the corporation sole, assuming distinct roles: the executive, as the ''Crown ...
on the
Influenza A virus subtype H7N9
Influenza A virus subtype H7N9 (A/H7N9) is a bird flu strain of the species Influenza virus A (avian influenza virus or bird flu virus). Avian influenza A H7 viruses normally circulate amongst avian populations with some variants known to occa ...
epidemic.
In 2015, she testified as an expert witness alongside
Allison McGeer
Allison Joan McGeer (born 1953) is a Canadian infectious disease specialist in the Sinai Health System, and a professor in thDepartment of Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiologyat the University of Toronto. She also appointed at the Dalla Lana Sch ...
in a labour arbitration between the
Ontario Nurses' Association
Founded in 1973, the Ontario Nurses’ Association (ONA) is the trade union that represents 60,000 registered nurses and allied health professionals working in hospitals, long-term care facilities, public health, community agencies and industry ...
and
Sault Area Hospital
The Sault Area Hospital is a medical facility in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario.
History
The hospital has its origins in the Sault Ste. Marie General Hospital founded by the Grey Sisters of the Cross in 1898 and the Plummer Memorial Public Hospital fou ...
regarding a "vaccine or mask" policy.
In February 2018, Henry was appointed as the Provincial Health Officer for
British Columbia
British Columbia (commonly abbreviated as BC) is the westernmost province of Canada, situated between the Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mountains. It has a diverse geography, with rugged landscapes that include rocky coastlines, sandy beaches, ...
at the
British Columbia Ministry of Health, the first woman to hold the role.
She chairs the pandemic influenza task group.
The group looks to minimise the number of people who become seriously ill during a pandemic, as well as limiting the social disruptions.
She called for more efficient electronic systems to understand vaccine uptake, as well as manage Canada's vaccine inventory.
Henry has taught at the
UBC School of Population and Public Health, Faculty of Medicine since 2010, where she is an associate professor. She also received an honorary degree from the University of British Columbia in 202
COVID-19 response
![EagleBayHenrySlogan](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/5d/EagleBayHenrySlogan.jpg)
Henry leads the provincial government's response to the
COVID-19 pandemic in British Columbia
The COVID-19 pandemic in British Columbia forms part of an ongoing worldwide pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), a novel infectious disease caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). On January 28, 202 ...
.
First half 2020
On 30 January 2020, following confirmation of the first infected person in British Columbia, Henry advised the public that "It is not necessary for the general public to take special precautions beyond the usual measures recommended to prevent other common respiratory viruses during the winter period." In March, medical columnist for ''
The Globe and Mail
''The Globe and Mail'' is a Canadian newspaper printed in five cities in western and central Canada. With a weekly readership of approximately 2 million in 2015, it is Canada's most widely read newspaper on weekdays and Saturdays, although it ...
'' described her as "a calming voice in a sea of coronavirus madness". In April, she cautioned against relying on mass testing as a strategy to control the spread of
SARS-CoV-2
Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS‑CoV‑2) is a strain of coronavirus that causes COVID-19 (coronavirus disease 2019), the respiratory illness responsible for the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. The virus previously had a ...
due to the risk of "up to 30 per cent" of tests potentially resulting in false negatives. In June, Henry was featured in a ''
New York Times
''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid d ...
'' article titled "The Top Doctor Who Aced the Coronavirus Test", praising the way that she has handled the COVID-19 pandemic.
Second half 2020
In August, September, and October 2020, Henry was criticised for not mandating public mask usage and BC's back to school plans.
This included not allowing the requirement for masks in classrooms in the province, and only permitting the universal requirement for masks in hospitals on November 6, 2020.
A limited edition
Compass card featuring the quote from Henry, "Be Kind, Be Calm, Be Safe" was released by
TransLink Translink (or TransLink) may refer to:
* TransLink (British Columbia), the public transport operator in Vancouver, Canada
* Translink (Northern Ireland)
Translink is the brand name of the Northern Ireland Transport Holding Company (NITHCo), a ...
on September 15, 2020. On 22 September 2020, Henry stated that she received death threats and "(has) had to have security in (her) house."
In November 2020 the
Public Health Agency of Canada
The Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC; french: Agence de la santé publique du Canada, ASPC) is an agency of the Government of Canada that is responsible for public health, emergency preparedness and response, and infectious and chronic dis ...
(PHAC) stated that BC was no longer saying what proportion of people who tested positive are healthcare providers.
Initially Henry denied that this data was not being provided to the Canadian government, while also saying that she was worried that the federal government would not present it properly.
The numbers were subsequently released with 1,442 (8.9%) out of 16,136 cases in BC in healthcare providers.
In November, Henry indicated that not all public health data were being shared with the federal government due to concerns with how they were being interpreted at the federal level, and that could lead to incorrect assumptions regarding COVID-19 spread. She did confirm that they were sharing all aggregate data.
Further concerns were raised in December regarding the lack of transparency of COVID-19 data in BC.
[
Henry was named a co-investigator in the Canadian Network of COVID-19 Clinical Trials Networks, a $6 million grant provided by the ]Canadian Institutes of Health Research
The Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR; french: Instituts de recherche en santé du Canada; IRSC) is a federal agency responsible for funding health and medical research in Canada. Comprising 13 institutes, it is the successor to the M ...
to support research and implementation of public health interventions across Canada. The funding period runs from December 1, 2020 until June 30, 2022.
On December 22, Henry received one of the first 3,600 doses of the Pfizer–BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine
The Pfizer–BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine ( INN: tozinameran), sold under the brand name Comirnaty, is an mRNA-based COVID-19 vaccine developed by the German biotechnology company BioNTech. For its development, BioNTech collaborated with Amer ...
, saying "It’s really my way of showing how confident we are in the vaccine and how important it is for all of us to be immunized in solidarity with (health-care workers)".
2021
In July 2021, Henry warned that while it was an individual choice to accept or decline a COVID-19 vaccine
A COVID19 vaccine is a vaccine intended to provide acquired immunity against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS‑CoV‑2), the virus that causes coronavirus disease 2019 ( COVID19).
Prior to the COVID19 pandemic, an e ...
, "there are consequences for people who are not immunized". In December 2021 she was criticized for prior claims that COVID mostly spreads by droplets instead of aerosols.[
This original "droplet" transmission theory was shared early in 2020 by the World Health Organization (W.H.O.) & can still be found on W.H.O. website.
The "droplet" theory was also held by Federal Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) Dr. ]Theresa Tam
Theresa Tam (; born 1965) is a Canadian physician and public servant who currently serves as the chief public health officer of Canada, who is the second-in-command of the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC). Tam initially took the role as ...
.
Personal life
Henry lives in Victoria, British Columbia
Victoria is the capital city of the Canadian province of British Columbia, on the southern tip of Vancouver Island off Canada's Pacific coast. The city has a population of 91,867, and the Greater Victoria area has a population of 397,237. Th ...
. She met her husband while serving in the Royal Canadian Navy. The couple separated after 20 years of marriage. Henry was made a Member of the Order of British Columbia
The Order of British Columbia (french: Ordre de la Colombie-Britannique) is a civilian honour for merit in the Canadian province of British Columbia. Instituted in 1989 by Lieutenant Governor David Lam, on the advice of the Cabinet under Premier ...
in 2021.
Leadership
* 2009: Canadian Pandemic Coordinating Committee responding to pandemic H1N1 influenza, Member
* Canadian Public Health Measures Task Group, Chair
* Canadian National Advisory Committee on Immunization
The National Advisory Committee on Immunization (NACI; french: Comité consultatif national de l'immunisation; french: CCNI, label=none) is an advisory body that provides the Government of Canada with medical and scientific advice relating to h ...
, Member
* Immunize Canada, Chair
* Infection Control Expert Group, Member
* National Infection Control Guidelines Steering Committee
* Ontario SARS Scientific Advisory Committee, Executive Team Member
Certifications
* 1999: American College of Preventive Medicine
Founded in 1954 and chartered as a non-profit organization in 1956, the American College of Preventive Medicine (ACPM) is an American physicians' organization focused on practice, research, publication, and teaching of evidence-based preventive me ...
, Board Certification, Preventative Medicine
* 2001: Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada
The Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada (french: Collège royal des médecins et chirurgiens du Canada) is a regulatory college which acts as a national, Non-profit organization, nonprofit organization established in 1929 by a speci ...
, Fellow, Public Health and Preventive Medicine
Selected works and publications
Selected works
*
*
Selected publications
*
*
*
*
*
*
References
External links
Bonnie Henry
at British Columbia Ministry of Health
Bonnie Henry
at UBC School of Population and Public Health
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Henry, Bonnie
Living people
Canadian public health doctors
Canadian health officials
Canadian women physicians
University of British Columbia faculty
Dalhousie University alumni
Mount Allison University alumni
University of California, San Diego alumni
San Diego State University alumni
University of Toronto alumni
People from Charlottetown
People from Fredericton
Members of the Order of British Columbia
1960s births
21st-century Canadian physicians
Year of birth missing (living people)
Women public health doctors