Practice Relevant Communiqués from Ottawa Public Health

December 24, 2009

Increased Mumps Activity in Ontario

We are writing to advise you of a recent notification from the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care regarding an increase in mumps activity in the province of Ontario. More>

December 15, 2009

Reminder to report foodborne illness cases this holiday season

Ottawa Public Health is requesting that all health care professionals remain watchful for cases of foodborne illness this holiday season. Please report all confirmed cases to Ottawa Public Health immediately at 613-580-6744, ext. 24224 from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday to Friday. More>

December 8, 2009

Influenza vaccine update

Last week for OPH H1N1 mass vaccination clinics. After serving well over 200,000 residents, all Ottawa Public Health (OPH) fixed mass vaccination clinic sites will be closed at the end of the day, Saturday, December 12, 2009. More>

November 30, 2009

Seasonal Influenza Vaccine Update

Ottawa Public Health is now accepting orders for seasonal influenza vaccine from physicians and other alternate vaccine delivery agents who wish to provide seasonal influenza vaccine to people over six months of age and without contraindications.

OPH looks forward to filling your requests for seasonal influenza vaccine through the usual process. You can download the vaccine order form. More>

November 25, 2009

Access to pH1N1 Influenza Vaccine – Update

As the province has recently simplified the pH1N1 vaccine delivery reporting requirements, Ottawa Public Health (OPH) continues to encourage physicians who wish to deliver the vaccine to their patients to fax in an Ottawa Public Health Pandemic Adjuvanted H1N1 Vaccine Order Form- 2009 to the OPH Vaccine Distribution Office at 613-580-2783…The only data-reporting requirement for physicians is to fax in a weekly report (every Monday) on the total number of doses given, using the attached form. Please use the fax number provided on the form. More>

November 20, 2009

Update on H1N1 vaccine supply and reporting

We would like to sincerely thank the approximately 200 family physicians who have answered the call to assist with vaccinating the public with the pandemic H1N1 Influenza vaccine. The purpose of this memo is to provide a status report on vaccine supply and reporting requirements for Alternate Delivery Agents (ADAs), including physicians. More>

November 19, 2009

Deactivation of flu assessment centres

After serving nearly 3,000 Ottawa residents, most flu assessment centres will deactivate their operations at the end of day Friday due to declining demand. The Tungasuvvingat Inuit Community Centre will continue providing flu assessment services to its clients, since flu activity continues to rise among the local Inuit population. More>

November 18, 2009

pH1N1 Influenza Clinical Update

OPH continues to encourage primary care providers and alternate delivery agents who wish to deliver pandemic H1N1 vaccine to their patients to visit ottawa.ca/health to access the prequalification package, or call 613-580-2424, ext. 26256 or 26325 to pre-qualify for vaccine and register your requests for the number of doses you require. Please note that the vaccine must be offered free of charge. There is a requirement to report on doses given weekly. More>

November 12, 2009:

pH1N1 Influenza Clinical Update

OPH continues to encourage primary care providers who wish to deliver pH1N1 vaccine to their patients to visit ottawa.ca/health to access the prequalification package, or call 613-580-2424, ext. 26256 or 26325, to prequalify for vaccine and register your requests for the number of doses you require. More>

November 5, 2009

Opening of flu assessment centres

Six flu assessment centres opened across Ottawa yesterday to help cope with the mounting number of cases of H1N1 in our community and alleviate the burden on local hospital emergency departments.
More>

November 4, 2009

Volunteering at pH1N1 vaccine clinics

In response to the many physicians and nurses who would like to volunteer to immunize Ottawa residents at one of our pH1N1 Vaccination Clinics across the city, contact Charmaine Williams, Program Manager, Staffing at 613 580-2424 ext. 22905 or by e-mail: charmaine.williams@ottawa.ca
We would like to thank you for your continued support in the pH1N1 vaccination efforts in our community.

November 2, 2009

“Treat the flu” ads in local newspapers

To make the best use of the different arms of our health care system and enable our hospitals to focus on the most serious flu illnesses, Ottawa Public Health has developed an ad in collaboration with Ottawa’s hospital and primary care sectors.
More>

October 28, 2009

Invitation to participate in the 2009-H1N1 vaccination program

pH1N1 prequalification package More>

October 21, 2009

H1N1 Flu Vaccination Clinics open on Monday

Ottawa Public Health (OPH) will begin providing free pandemic H1N1flu vaccinations to Ottawa residents who need it most at its citywide clinics on October 26.
The province has informed OPH that the City will receive its first shipment of the H1N1 vaccine this week.
More>

October 16, 2009

Update on pH1N1 vaccine strategy

As planning parameters for the delivery of the pandemic H1N1 (pH1N1) influenza vaccine continue to be defined and communicated to decision makers within the City of Ottawa, many of you will have heard about some aspects of the delivery strategy via media updates in the past 48 hours. More>

October 1, 2009

Update on seasonal flu influenza program

Ottawa Public Health is happy to announce that it has received its first shipment of seasonal flu vaccine this morning and distribution to vaccine providers is imminent. You will find enclosed the Seasonal Influenza Vaccine Order Form. After you have placed your vaccine order for patients 65 years and older, we will contact you when your order is ready for pick-up. More>

September 25, 2009

Update on influenza vaccines

Dr. Arlene King, Ontario's Chief Medical Officer of Health, announced yesterday afternoon the province's recommended rollout and sequencing strategy for this year's flu shots. First, the seasonal flu shot will be offered to seniors and residents of long-term care facilities, then the pH1N1 vaccine will be offered to all Ontarians in the recommended sequence, and finally the seasonal flu shot will be offered to the general population. Please note that these recommendations are aligned with tailoring protective measures to the different segments of the population. More>

September 3, 2009

Update on pandemic H1N1 (pH1N1) planning

Ottawa Public Health has been working with primary care providers, including community health centres, some family health teams, college and university health services, the Academy of Medicine Ottawa and others, to establish a local plan in anticipation of a second wave of pandemic H1N1 influenza. This memo is to update you on activities that may affect your practice this fall. More>

June 30, 2009

Novel H1N1 Influenza Clinical Update #4

Summer surveillance
The number of new cases reported by OPH weekly, and the rate of increase in the number of cases, is expected to decrease as testing is now recommended only for severely ill (usually hospitalized) patients or patients with a high probability of developing complications. More>

May 1, 2009

Novel H1N1 Influenza Clinical Update #3 and Questions and Answers

Confirmed cases of novel H1N1 Influenza continue to occur in Ontario related to travel from Mexico. All cases have had mild illness; none have been hospitalized. The median age of cases is 22 years old. The World Health Organization has encouraged activation of pandemic plans, raising the alert level for a pandemic to Phase 5. More>

April 28, 2009

Four cases of swine influenza confirmed in Ontario: Update for Managing Individuals and their contacts that are suspected to have the new H1N1 swine Influenza strain

This document contains changes to the management of suspected H1N1 “swine” Influenza and answers to common questions. More>

April 24, 2009

Severe Respiratory Illness (SRI) in Mexico

Attached please find an Important Health Notice on Severe Respiratory Illness (SRI) in Mexico from the Ministry of Health and Long Term Care of Ontario. This information replaces the memo you previously received from Ottawa Public Health earlier this week. More>

View Screening Questionnaire

April 23, 2009

Severe Respiratory Illness (SRI) in Mexico

The Ministry of Health and Long term Care (MOHLTC) and the Ontario Agency for Health Protection and Promotion (OAHPP) have notified Ottawa Public Health (OPH) about a number of cases of severe respiratory illness (SRI) that have occurred recently in various locations in south and central Mexico. More>

April 09, 2009

Agranulocytosis in Cocaine Users

This memo is to advise you that Ottawa Public Health (OPH) has recently been made aware of a case of agranulocytosis in a person from the Ottawa region whose toxicology tests were positive for cocaine and levamisole. More>

April 21, 2008

Measles cases in Ontario (view memo)
As of today, 10 confirmed cases of measles have been reported in Ontario over the past month, primarily in the Greater Toronto Area with an additional nine cases under investigation, eight of which demonstrate an epidemiological link. Ottawa Public Health currently has one confirmed case of imported measles in a non-immunized child, unrelated to the current Ontario outbreak, but linked to an ongoing outbreak in Switzerland, and are also investigating a suspect case.

February 8, 2008

Pentacel® Vaccine Changing to Pediacel® (view memo)
Please note that Sanofi Pasteur Ltd, the manufacturer of the Pentacel® pediatric vaccine (DTaP-IPV-Hib: diphtheria, pertussis, tetanus, polio, Haemophilus influenzae type b), will be replacing it with a new fully liquid version called Pediacel®.

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