In This Issue - December 2024

• Program Updates
  • RSV Vaccine Update
  • Niagara Parents Social Media Update
• Announcements
  • Respiratory Surveillance
  • Welcome New Physicians to Niagara!
• Primary Care Advisory & Liaison (PCAL) Group
  • 18-Month Book Club
  • 2025 Recruitment is Open

RSV Vaccine Update

Beyfortus® Availability

The Ontario Ministry of Health has allocated doses of Beyfortus® to Public Health Units (PHUs) across the province, including Niagara Region Public Health (NRPH). NRPH releases Beyfortus® doses to hospitals and primary care providers as soon as inventory is received.

Allocation Details

• 50mg formulation: The Ministry of Health has directed PHUs to prioritize the 50mg doses for hospitals to support new births. We understand that primary care providers may not have received sufficient doses to meet patient demand. Please know that NRPH is working within provincial guidelines to distribute the vaccine equitably and as efficiently as possible. 
• The Ministry has been working on increasing the doses of Beyfortus® available to health units and have indicated that another shipment of the 50mg formulation is anticipated. Once Niagara has received its allocation, we will distribute doses promptly.  

Updated Eligibility for Ontario’s High-Risk Older Adult RSV Prevention Program

Ontario’s publicly funded RSV prevention program is targeted for high-risk individuals and settings. The Ontario Ministry of Health has shared with PHUs that patients with glomerulonephritis (GN) who are 60 years and older and are moderately to severely immunocompromised are now eligible to receive publicly funded RSV vaccination. Additional eligibility is available at Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) prevention programs | ontario.ca

Health Care Provider Action

• Refer to the Canadian Immunization Guide on RSV for guidance on how to prioritize which patients should receive Beyfortus®
• Under no circumstances are the 100mg doses of Beyfortus® to be split into two 50mg doses. Similarly, two 50mg doses of Beyfortus® cannot be combined to make a 100mg dose; this is a restriction set by the manufacturer

• Use the Physicians and Primary Care Vaccine Order Form to order RSV products for the infant and high-risk prevention program

• Use the High Risk Vaccine Order Form to order RSV vaccine for high-risk older adults

For questions about availability or placing orders, call the Vaccine Preventable Disease program at 905-688-8248 or 1-888-505-6074 ext. 7396

Niagara Parents Social Media Update

For over a decade, Public Health’s Niagara Parents program has used Instagram, Facebook, and X (formerly Twitter) accounts to reach parents with important messages about programs and services. Over time, the social media landscape has changed. To ensure we use resources efficiently to make the most impact in our community, we came to the difficult decision to close these three accounts on November 18. The Niagara Region Public Health Instagram, Twitter and Facebook social media accounts will now be the sole source for information and support on parenting.

These changes do not affect Niagara Parents programs and services. Please continue to use and order parenting resources. To place an order for your practice, please visit the clinic and patient resource order webpage (see maternal, child health). 

Launch of the 2024 edition of the Rourke Baby Record

The 2024 Rourke Baby Record (RBR) is an updated evidence-based guide intended to help family physicians and other health care professionals guide their preventive care for young children, from birth to 5 years of age.

Highlights of revisions in the 2024 edition include interactive age specific guides to direct links to summary of current evidence, guidelines, and corresponding parent resources. Other significant revisions include a re-organization of the family functioning and behaviour section to include early relational health, mental health, and healthy routines, and a shift from labelling high risk groups to offering support and resources. There is also a new section on anti-racist, inclusive, and culturally safe care.

Action: Download the updated RBR for your practice.

Respiratory Surveillance

• Public Health Ontario’s most recent respiratory laboratory surveillance data indicates activity for influenza is low but is starting to increase
• Provincially, COVID-19 is the most commonly circulating virus amongst samples tested (based on percent positivity)
• In Niagara, there are 35 cases of influenza this season and 724 across Ontario

Niagara reports flu activity surveillance information weekly on Fridays. For more detail on the 2024 to 2025 respiratory season, please visit Public Health Ontario’s page for the Ontario Respiratory virus Tool.

Welcome New Physicians to Niagara!

Public Health would like to extend a warm welcome to all the family physicians who started practice in 2024! 

If your office is receiving calls from Niagara residents seeking a primary care physician, please refer them to our Find A Doctor webpage as this is updated often.

18-Month Enhanced Well-Baby Visit & Book Club Update

In October, the PCAL Group reviewed the implementation of the Enhanced 18-Month Well-Baby Visit (EWBV) and Public Health’s Book Club Program. Taking your feedback into consideration, they consulted with Public Health around the language used and single education option required to join the program.

Several changes were made to the program following the discussion and feedback provided by your PCAL area leads. 

• More direct program name change "18-Month Book Club Program"
• Updated educational tool to show the higher percentage of vulnerability among children in Niagara compared to the province
• Addition of information on the importance of the 18-month Enhanced Well-baby Visit and impact of literacy on alleviating the effects of ACEs on health, reducing the number of vulnerable children at school entry in Niagara
• Promotion of updated clinical tools such as the 2024 edition of the Rourke Baby Record and parent/guardian completed Looksee Checklist (formerly Nipissing District Developmental Screen)
• Revised and simplified agreement process
• Ongoing development of a comprehensive evaluation plan to demonstrate program impact
• Expanding the onboarding options available to join the program
  1. 1:1 Book Club update (15 minutes)
  2. Team training (30-60 minutes)
  3. Independent completion of two online modules (20-40 minutes each)

*Options 1 and 2 include a high-level review of emerging literature, recommended guidelines, current clinical tools, key messages, resources and community supports.

As a member of the 18-month Book Club, you will receive up-to-date clinical tools, key messages for these visits and information to support referrals as well as packages for parents/caregivers with resources, tips for reading and an age-tailored book to provide during this visit. If you are interested in joining the 18-Month Book Club program, contact Public Health.

Recruitment is OPEN for 2025

Niagara Region Public Health’s (NRPH) Primary Care Advisory and Liaison (PCAL) Group is recruiting three new members (family physicians and nurse practitioners) for 2025. Open positions for 2025 include the areas of:

• Welland and Pelham
• St.Catharines and Niagara-on-the-Lake
• Lincoln, West Lincoln and Grimsby

The purpose of the PCAL Group is to improve knowledge exchange and delivery of public health interventions through engagement with primary care providers. Since 2021, the group membership has consisted of primary care physicians and nurse practitioners, as well as NRPH leadership and staff. The PCAL Group covers specified geographic catchment areas with the goal of equitably representing and being inclusive of all family physicians and nurse practitioners who practice in Niagara’s diverse communities. PCAL Leads regularly engage those in their catchment areas to provide clinical expertise and guidance back to NRPH in response to health issues that impact residents of Niagara.

The PCAL Lead has year-round commitments, amounting to an annualized one-half day per month (4 hours). For 2025, we offer an annual stipend of $6,000 per year, paid in two increments. If this opportunity speaks to you, please contact us for the position summary which details the key responsibilities and requirements for those interested in submitting their application.

Medical Advisories & Memos

• MEMO: December 13 - Impact of Postal Strike on Immunization Record Review

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