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In This Issue - July 2022
- PHYSICIANS' CORNER
- UPDATE:
Heightened Disease and Food-Borne Illness Surveillance - Canada Games
EMS Community Paramedicine Program Referrals Paused
Vaccine Preventable Disease Program - What's Your VAQ
- REVIEW:
Masks in Healthcare Settings
Primary Care Triple P
Steps to Wellness: Before and After Baby Nurse CBT Program
- MEDICAL ADVISORIES & MEMOS
Physicians' Corner
Covid-19 Vaccination: Public Health Vaccine Clinics, Health Education for Newly Eligible Fourth Doses and Children Under 5
Please note at this time Public Health is prioritizing those 6 months to 4 years old and not taking new vaccine appointment bookings for other age groups during this time. Anyone who is 5 years of age or older and is looking to get a dose of the COVID-19 vaccine is invited to check with a participating pharmacy or their family doctor's office to get the vaccine. As demand for children age 6 months to 4 years lessens, appointments for other age groups and walk-ins will resume.
Fourth Doses
Ontarians aged 18 to 59 years old are eligible for a fourth dose (second booster). You have likely experienced an increase in patient calls for those wanting to make an informed decision to get vaccinated now or wait until fall when a new bivalent COVID-19 vaccine which may offer more targeted protection against the Omicron variants is anticipated. Most individuals aged 18 to 59 years old will continue to have strong protection against severe disease for more than six months after their first booster dose. Please refer to page 16 in the Ministry’s COVID-19 Vaccine Booster Recommendations document.
Patients can be directed to getting vaccinated and staying up to date for personalized recommendations by group.
Children 6 months to 5 years of age
Please refer to our Memo: Advance Preparation for COVID-19 Vaccination in Children Under 5 Years for details. In particular, with the vaccine now authorized, Public Health will soon issue a pre-recorded video to healthcare partners detailing the vaccination plan. Please submit your questions by 5 p.m. today, Wednesday July 27 to HCPengagement@niagararegion.ca and we will do our best to ensure they are answered.
Our COVID-19 Frequently Asked Questions for Health Care Professionals webpage has been updated! Don't see the response to your question on the FAQ page? Call our COVID-19 Health Care Professionals information line Monday - Friday, 9:15 a.m. - 4:15 p.m. at 905-688-8248, press 7 then press 1.
UPDATE: Heightened Disease and Food-Borne Illness Surveillance - Canada Games
The Canada Summer Games begin in the Niagara Region on August 6 and run until August 21. These events are anticipating 5000 athletes/coaches and 4000 volunteers. In order to monitor the potential for disease outbreaks associated with mass gatherings such as this, Public Health will be conducting heightened surveillance beginning on July 24 and continuing until September 3.
Surveillance will include daily monitoring of:
- Air quality
- Clusters of food/waterborne illness
- Reportable disease trends
- Potential outbreaks
During this time frame, we request your assistance to report any unusual patterns of disease seen as it may relate to the Canada Summer Games.
For reporting of sporadic illness: Contact the Duty Officer at 905-688-8248 at ext. 7590.
For reporting of clusters of food/waterborne illness: Contact the Infectious Disease Program at 905-688-8248 at ext. 7330.
Smallpox and other Orthopoxviruses including Monkeypox is now a Disease of Public Health Significance reportable to Public Health. Posters can be ordered online.
UPDATE: EMS Community Paramedicine Program Referrals Paused
The Community Paramedicine (CP) program offers mobile integrated healthcare that is
- Delivered in the patient's home or where they are in the community
- Based on the patient's needs and preventive services
- Available 24 hours per day, seven days a week
Similar to the rest of the health sector, EMS has been impacted by the staffing crisis and has had to pull back resources to ensure there are enough paramedics to staff ambulance shifts. This temporary need has resulted in staffing restrictions to complete proactive home visits. Compounding that, there has been a significant increase in referrals to the CP programs over the past few months resulting in a lengthy wait list.
To clear the wait list and continue to provide quality service to existing clients on the program, EMS has put a temporary pause on new Community Paramedicine referrals until Labour Day (Sept. 5). This was a difficult decision, knowing how many seniors need programs like this in the community right now so they can stay safe and healthy at home. The program will be monitoring the wait list closely between now and Labour Day. If capacity improves, the program will begin accepting referrals sooner.
UPDATE: Vaccine Preventable Disease (VPD) Program
What’s Your VAQ? Series - Part 1
The VPD program is launching What’s Your VAQ (Vaccine Awareness Quotient), a 3 – part series that will include helpful resources and reminders about various topics as health care providers start to immunize patients again.
Concurrent administration of vaccines:
- Considering the minimum age and interval between doses, most routine vaccines can be safely administered at the same visit as an effective catch-up strategy for delayed immunizations
General immunization practices:
- Vaccines that are known to cause the most injection site pain should be administered last
- If multiple parenteral injections are required, different limbs should be used whenever possible. If multiple injections in the same limb are required, separate the injection sites by at least 2.5 cm (1 inch)
Vaccine interchangeability:
- In general, use the same manufacturer's product for all doses in a vaccine series whenever possible. However, routine immunization should not be deferred because of the lack of availability of a specific product, and interchangeability is supported to ensure a complete schedule can be administered
Find more information here:
REVIEW: Masks in Healthcare Settings
As of June 11, the provincial government lifted all mask mandates for indoor settings with the exception of long-term care and retirement homes.
Although mask mandates have been lifted, Niagara Region Public Health continues to recommend that all physicians, staff, and visitors continue to wear masks in all health care settings, especially during the current seventh wave. Physicians or health care facilities can continue to implement masking policies that ask all staff, patients, and other visitors to wear a mask when in the office.
To support masking policies that may be in place at your office, we have created a poster that is available to download and print here. We encourage you to consider replacing old mask posters with this one.
For more information, including what to do if a patient refuses to wear a mask, visit the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario’s website.
REVIEW: Primary Care Triple P
Niagara Parents is happy to introduce Primary Care Triple P (Positive Parenting Program).
Primary Care Triple P is a private and efficient way to get positive parenting support that targets a specific behavioral issue or concern your patient’s child may be experiencing. Primary Care Triple P is for parents of children aged 2-12. This service focuses on one specific issue or topic and is facilitated by Niagara Region Public Health nurses.
Parent(s) will meet with a Public Health Triple P provider about four times and each session usually takes between 15-30 minutes.
Learn more about Primary Care Triple P.
To refer a patient, please use the Family Health Referral form.
REVIEW: Steps to Wellness: Before and After Baby Nurse CBT Program
There are spaces available in Niagara Public Health’s Steps to Wellness: Before and After Baby 9-week Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) group series for individuals with symptoms of postpartum depression starting August 23rd.
Participants could be eligible for the Steps to Wellness program if they meet the following criteria:
- Pregnant or up to 18 months postpartum
- Experiencing symptoms of depression or anxiety
- Have NOT been diagnosed with borderline personality disorder, psychosis, post-traumatic stress disorder, and/or bipolar disorder
If you have a patient that you believe might be eligible for this program, please encourage them to self-register for the group online. A Public Health Nurse from Niagara Parents will follow up by phone to conduct an EPDS assessment and ask about other diagnoses.
Registration will close on Wednesday August 16.
Additional series’ will be offered starting in September and October. More information is available on our website.
If you have any questions please contact Niagara Parents.
Looking for education and professional development opportunities? Several opportunities are available to support health professionals in Niagara.
Check this page often for updates!
MEDICAL ADVISORIES & MEMOS
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