Key Updates for Your Patients
Digital Mental Wellness assessment and treatment now free for your pregnant patients
Your pregnant patients can now have free access to a digital mental wellness app as part of a pilot project in collaboration with the Women’s College evaluation team. Provide your pregnant patients with this web address to sign up york.ca/myStrength. Read more
Don’t forget to tell your patients to submit their vaccination records electronically to York Region Public Health (YRPH)
As you continue to vaccinate or catch up with the children in your practice with their routine immunizations, please remind them to submit their vaccine records online. While York Region has not enforced the Immunization of School Pupils Act (ISPA) since the pandemic began, many vaccinations are required for school attendance. Submitting the record as soon as possible helps us, and you, understand vaccine coverage in the community and help ease a return to fully vaccinated and safer classrooms. Read more
Youth vaping continues to increase dramatically in the community
A dangerous trend of increased youth vaping has continued throughout the pandemic, potentially undermining decades of success in decreasing the prevalence of cigarette smoking, and nicotine addiction in the population. Share York Region Public Health’s awareness campaign on the health risks of vaping. Information for parents/caregivers is available at york.ca/YouthVaping.
|
|
Key Updates for You
YRPH is now offering Influenza vaccines at our COVID-19 vaccine clinics
Everyone over 6 months of age should get an influenza vaccine this season. Flu vaccines are available in York Region Public Health COVID-19 vaccine clinics as well as at select pharmacies (> age 2), and of course, at many of your offices. NOTE: Adults and children over age 5 may receive both their COVID-19 vaccine AND flu vaccine at the same time, or at any interval. Read more
Complete the Partner Engaged Assessment of Community Health (PEACH) survey
We all know that the pandemic has dramatically impacted the physical and mental health of individuals and communities. We just don’t know how and by how much? And how we can support a return to normal, or even better than before. Please complete a brief survey asking you about the health status and health needs you are seeing in your patients and communities, and what health care and public services are needed. We look forward to your responses and sharing what we find with you!
COVID-19 Vaccine Clarifications
- The minimum interval for the bivalent COVID-19 vaccine (Pfizer and Moderna) is 3 months. While the NACI recommended interval is 6 months, those at higher risk or those concerned about increased transmission this fall can receive their next dose at 3 months. York Region Public Health strongly recommends that all eligible residents have a bivalent dose as soon as possible this fall.
- Health Canada now authorizes Moderna’s BA4/5 vaccine. This vaccine is not yet available in Ontario. We will update you when we know it will be available in our vaccine clinics.
- Moderna BA1 bivalent vaccine is now available in a smaller vial (5 dose vial instead of 10 dose), making it easier for clinicians to administer Moderna bivalent in their clinics with less concern about wastage. Contact covid19vaccine@york.ca for more information.
- The Ministry’s guidance has changed for immunocompromised children 6 months to 4 years. This group should receive Moderna (3 doses) over Pfizer (4 doses).
|
|
Public Health in the News
Aconite Poisoning is still a risk
In August, 11 people presented to the hospital with symptoms of aconite poisoning after consuming Mr. Right Brand Keampferia Galanga Powder contaminated with aconite toxin. Several of these patients were in the ICU for prolonged periods but fortunately recovered. A recall was issued for this product and calls to individuals to ensure they threw out products they may have in their homes were widely reported in the media. Recently, another individual who consumed the same recalled product at home became severely ill and was hospitalized. York Region Public Health re-issued a health alert to remind people to dispose of this dangerous product.
|
|
Featured Publication
E-cigarette use (vaping) is increasing among youth and the general community. The following article provides a good overview of the potential harms of e-cigarette use. Pipe AL, Mir H. E-Cigarettes Reexamined: Product Toxicity Can J Cardiol. 2022;38(9):1395-1405
|
|
Featured Articles
Digital Mental Wellness assessment and treatment now free for your pregnant patients
The COVID-19 pandemic has worsened the significant mental health challenges that can come with being a new parent. These mental health issues are felt by parents and may also have a negative impact on a child’s growth and development. York Region Public Health’s Child and Family Health division strives to support a child and family’s wellbeing and support clinicians and parents to prevent these impacts before they can arise.
York Region Public Health and Teladoc Health are piloting myStrength, a digital mental health and wellness program for York Region residents. myStrength is targeted at millennials, who we know want quick information, privacy and convenience at their fingertips. This program is intended to complement the care you provide for your prenatal clients, both those who are well and those who need more support.
Physicians can share a link to this service which is available FREE to patients until July 2023. myStrength offers personalized content, information on local resources, education unique to their experience, and 1-on-1 support with a trained health coach. The service can replace or supplement content that would otherwise be time-intensive to counsel about in your busy clinical practice. Topics include insomnia, managing stress and anxiety, trauma and early parenting skills, etc.
Patients can register by visiting york.ca/myStrength. Clinicians can download digital promotional materials for their offices. For more information, contact the Community Liaison Team at CLT@york.ca
Flu vaccines now available at York Region Public Health COVID-19 vaccine clinics
Everyone over 6 months of age should get an influenza vaccine this season to prevent illness and contribute to decreasing the burden on the acute care system. Some key points to help you counsel and clarify common questions for your patients include:
- We are experiencing a much earlier start to the influenza season this year and expect this already-severe respiratory season to continue to worsen (see graph below). While not all respiratory illness is COVID-19 or influenza, getting vaccinated against both viruses with effective and safe vaccines provides significant protection and peace of mind
|
|
- Please remind all your patients, particularly those at higher risk of severe illness, of the availability, safety and efficacy of influenza vaccines
- Groups that should be particularly encouraged to be vaccinated include:
- People with an egg allergy can still be vaccinated
- Other than those aged 6 months to < 5 years (need to administer COVID-19 and flu vaccines two weeks apart). Patients 5 years of age and older may get COVID-19 vaccines and a flu vaccine at the same time or any time before/after one another
- For those 65 and older, high dose QIV should be used over standard dose QIV (when available); additionally the adjuvanted TIV may provide better protection against H3N2 than the standard dose QIV
- Similar to previous years, clinicians are encouraged to administer influenza vaccines in their practices where possible and can order vaccines from York Region Public Health
- York Region Public Health COVID-19 vaccination clinics offering COVID-19 vaccines and flu shots at the same time, or separately (by appointment only)
Ministry of Health or NACI’s recommendations are linked here for your information.
Encourage and remind parents to report their child’s routine immunizations to Public Health
York Region Public Health is planning to restart collecting children’s immunization records in 2023. This ensures they have proof of immunization against certain vaccine-preventable diseases before going to licensed child care or school and helps us understand our vaccine coverage rates across our communities.
It is important for us all to ensure children have received all recommended routine immunizations they may have missed due to disruptions by the COVID-19 pandemic, including:
- Routine immunizations offered throughout early childhood, typically before school age
- Eligible students for school-based vaccines typically offered in grade 7 (Hepatitis B, meningococcal and HPV vaccines)
To better support recommended and required immunizations for students, we are going into elementary and secondary schools to ensure students may get caught up for Hepatitis B, Meningitis and HPV vaccines. Students who missed a school vaccine clinic can book an appointment online to go to one of our York Region community clinics.
Students sometimes prefer to have these vaccines administered by their health care provider. Students who have graduated continue to be eligible for some vaccines as outlined in Table 1. Clinicians can order these and other vaccines through vaccine information for HCP
Table 1
| Vaccines |
Students currently eligible
Updated Sept. 1, 2022 |
Hepatitis B
(2 doses) |
Grades 7 – 12 |
Human Papillomavirus (HPV)
(2 doses) |
Grades 7 – 12
This includes:
- All students who graduated secondary school in 2022 and female students who graduated secondary school in 2019/2020 or 2020/2021 (these cohorts of graduated students are eligible for doses until Aug 31, 2023.
|
| Meningococcal (Men-C-ACYW-135) |
Grades 7 – 12
- Graduated students continue to be eligible until dose received
|
Clinicians are encouraged to ensure:
- Their patients are all up to date with their routine childhood immunizations. Some effective strategies include:
- Chart reviews for immunization status at every opportunity
- Recalls/ reminders
- Concurrent administration when possible based on the Canadian Immunization Guide
- Encourage parents to report any vaccines their children received online or calling Access York at 1-877-464-9675.
Helpful resources:
Counseling on bivalent COVID-19 boosters
Currently, the bivalent COVID-19 booster vaccine products that are available include:
- Moderna (original strain + BA1) for those 18+
- Pfizer (original strain + BA4/5) for those 12+
NOTE: Health Canada has approved Moderna’s bivalent BA4/5 product although we are not certain when this may become available in Ontario.
York Region is encouraging everyone eligible to receive their bivalent booster dose this fall. We know that a recommendation from a trusted health care provider to receive a vaccine can go a long way and we encourage all to speak to your patients about this at every opportunity.
Supportive key messages to support COVID-19 vaccine counseling with patients:
- While the recommended interval to receive the bivalent booster is 6 months after a previous COVID-19 vaccine dose OR confirmed COVID-19 infection, all eligible people can get the bivalent vaccine as early as 3 months after their last dose or infection. In particular, you may want to encourage those who are high risk due to age, immunocompromised status, comorbidities or social factors (including health care workers) to get their booster dose after three months
- There is no preferential recommendation for Pfizer BA4/5 bivalent over Moderna BA1 bivalent (except for those < 18 years of age), because evidence shows they are similar in their effectiveness at preventing serious outcomes from COVID-19 infection
- You must have received a primary series to receive a bivalent booster
- Both flu vaccine and COVID-19 bivalent boosters are recommended this fall; for everyone over age 5, you can get both vaccines together, or separated by any amount of time; don’t delay receiving whichever vaccines you are eligible to receive
- You can book an appointment online at york.ca/COVID19Vaccines
|
|
Contact Us
We want to hear from you about what’s most relevant for your patients, practice and what you’d like us to know. Reach out to us anytime at healthprofessionals@york.ca or visit york.ca/healthprofessionals
For critical reporting or urgent inquiries, you can reach us 24/7 at 1-877-464-9675, Ext. 77280.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
