Niagara Region Public Health updates for physicians, primary care providers and allied health professionals
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In this issue - November 2025
Program Updates
• Fall Respiratory Season
• Immunizations in Child Care Settings
• Reporting AEFIs
• Niagara Community Substance Use Strategy
Announcements
• Respiratory Surveillance
Educational Opportunities
• Niagara Region Public Health Rounds: Focus on the Immunization of School Pupils Act (ISPA) CME
Medical Advisories and Memos
• Holiday Ordering and Delivery Schedule for Vaccines and Beyfortus®
• RSV Products Updates and Vaccine Ordering Reminders
• The 2025-2026 Immunization Record Review
As we head into the holiday season, we are pleased to share key updates and resources to support your clinical practice.
In this issue, our Vaccine-Preventable Disease (VPD) team highlights the critical role of vaccination as we enter respiratory season, provides updates on immunization requirements for child care settings, and reviews guidance on reporting Adverse Events Following Immunization (AEFIs). We are also pleased to announce a free CME opportunity for physicians and clinic staff focused on the Immunization of School Pupils Act.
Finally, we are excited to introduce the Community Substance Use Strategy -an action-oriented plan designed to enhance the safety and well-being of Niagara residents by preventing, delaying, and reducing substance-related harms.
Thank you for your continued commitment to creating a healthier Niagara.
Dr. Azim Kasmani
Medical Officer of Health
Niagara Region Public Health and Emergency Services
Fall Respiratory Season
As we enter respiratory season, NRPH is advising that RSV, influenza, and COVID-19 are expected to circulate widely and place additional strain on our health system. Primary care settings, emergency departments, and hospitals may experience significant pressure during peak periods..
To reduce the burden of illness in our community, timely and widespread vaccination remains critical and NRPH remains committed to working with you to achieve this. Please continue to promote and encourage all staff, patients, and especially high-risk individuals such as seniors, to receive their vaccines as soon as they become available. Public Health strongly supports coadministration of COVID-19, influenza, and RSV vaccines where appropriate, to maximize coverage and convenience.
On September 23, 2025, two memos were issued to health care providers outlining eligibility criteria for fall respiratory immunizations. Please refer to the memos to guide your immunization efforts.
Thank you again for your continued collaboration and efforts in helping to protect our community from vaccine preventable diseases.
Resources
- Refer to the Public Health Ontario Respiratory Virus Tool for information on respiratory virus activity in Ontario
- For information on molecular testing for respiratory viruses, refer to Respiratory Viruses (including influenza) | Public Health Ontario
- For more information related to antiviral treatment refer to:
Immunizations in Child Care Settings
Under the Child Care and Early Years Act (CCEYA), the Medical Officer of Health determines what immunizations (including health assessment) are needed for staff, volunteers, and students. For Niagara, directed immunizations of staff (child care employees and contracted home child care providers) remain unchanged and can be found on our website.
By law in Ontario, Public Health must have an up-to-date immunization record or valid exemption on file for each child attending a licensed child care centre or licensed home child care agency.
Immunization directions for staff and required immunizations for children for child care settings are listed on the Publicly Funded Immunization Schedule handout for health care providers. This resource can be ordered (select Vaccines and Immunization) for your practice.
More Information
- Call 905-688-8248 or 1-888-505-6074 ext. 7396
Reporting AEFIs
You should report a side effect following a patient’s immunization, even if you are unsure whether or not it's necessary. Call 905-688-8248 or 1-888-505-6074 ext. 7396 to discuss further.
Patients or their parent/guardian can also report adverse events to Public Health without the knowledge of their health care provider. Public Health may follow up with your patient or their parent/guardian regarding any forms they submitted.
The information on our Report Adverse Events After Immunization (for Health Care Professionals) webpage has been updated to include information about Beyfortus® reporting, including during co-administration with another vaccine.
More Information
- Call 905-688-8248 or 1-888-505-6074 ext. 7396
Niagara Community Substance Use Strategy
Substance use remains a significant public health concern in Niagara, with rates of alcohol-related emergencies, cannabis harms, and opioid deaths surpassing provincial averages. In response, the Niagara Community Substance Use Strategy has been launched.
This comprehensive strategy is a call to action and aims to reduce harms and improve health outcomes. The strategy is grounded in four pillars - Prevention, Harm Reduction, Treatment, and Community Safety - and reflects input from residents, including individuals with lived/living experience and community partners.
Key Priorities
- Early Intervention: Building resilience through prevention and risk screening
- Harm Reduction: Promoting stigma-free care and developing a regional toolkit
- Collaboration: Encouraging cross-sector partnerships to improve service access
- Equitable Treatment: Supporting inclusive initiatives like HART Hubs and NOHT-ÉSON
- Community Safety: Advocating for integrated services and supporting vulnerable populations
Next Steps and More Information
- Implementation will be led by sector leaders
- Health care providers are encouraged to learn more about the Niagara Community Substance Strategy
Respiratory Surveillance
- Public Health Ontario’s most recent respiratory laboratory surveillance data indicates activity for influenza is low
- Provincially, Entero/Rhinovirus is the most commonly circulating virus (based on percent positivity)
- In Niagara, there have been 18 cases of influenza this season; 450 across Ontario
Niagara reports flu activity surveillance information weekly on Fridays.
For more details on the 2025 to 2026 respiratory season, please visit Public Health Ontario’s page for the Ontario Respiratory Virus Tool.
Visit the Professional Development Opportunities page for in-person and online opportunities available to health care professionals in Niagara.
FREE CME TRAINING! Niagara Region Public Health Rounds: Focus on the Immunization of School Pupils Act
Family physicians and clinic staff - reserve your spot for this free online event!
Wednesday, December 10 from 6:30 – 8:00 p.m.
Join us to learn about:
- The local context for the Immunization of School Pupils Act (ISPA) and what the record review process will look like for the 2025–2026 school year
- How to review a patient’s immunization history and determine which vaccines they still need
- How to create clear vaccination plans for patients with more complex records so they can get up to date
- How to guide patients and families in reporting their vaccine information - where to submit records, how to do it, and why it matters for public health
Register online or call 905-688-8248 or 1-888-505-6074 ext. 7396 by Friday, December 5, 2025.
This activity has been certified by the College of Family Physicians of Canada and the Ontario Chapter for up to 1.5 Mainpro+® Certified Activity credits.
Medical advisories and memos
Don't miss important communications from Public Health! Sign up to receive health care professional alerts and urgent notices.
- MEMO: November 24 - Holiday Ordering and Delivery Schedule for Vaccines and Beyfortus®
- MEMO: November 10 - RSV Products Updates and Vaccine Ordering Reminders
- MEMO: November 4 - The 2025-2026 Immunization Record Review
Your monthly update from Niagara Region Public Health
Welcome to Public Health Pulse! Formerly known as the Physicians’ Newsletter, the publication was given a fresh name in January 2025 to better reflect our commitment to supporting Niagara’s physicians, primary care providers, and allied health professionals with essential public health updates.
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