Ottawa’s wastewater surveillance program extended for another year

Published by: Ottawa Citizen
Published on: October 4, 2024
By Elizabeth Payne

Two months after the Ontario government pulled the plug on wastewater surveillance, Ottawa health and research institutions have teamed up to extend the program in the city for a least another year.

Calling it an innovative solution that allowed for better monitoring of COVID-19 in the community, CHEO, the CHEO Research Institute, the University of Ottawa and Ottawa Public Health announced an extension of wastewater surveillance on Friday.

In addition to monitoring COVID-19 levels in wastewater, the program monitors levels of influenza, RSV and mpox in Ottawa. The program has been extended until September 2025.

Comments closed

Ottawa-Gatineau

uOttawa, CHEO and OPH extend monitoring of viruses in wastewater to 2025

Published October 4, 2024

Published by: CTV News
Published on: October 4, 2024
By Ted Raymond

Our research group is truly grateful for the overwhelming support we’ve received from the community over the past few months through emails, letters, and phone calls advocating for the continuation of our wastewater monitoring system.

We’ve gained invaluable insights into how this information is essential for community members facing health challenges, and we are thrilled to continue providing this vital service. A heartfelt thank you to OPH, CHEO, and CHEO-RI for their unwavering support.

— Dr. Robert Delatolla

Comments closed

Alberta

No flu or COVID-19 vaccines for medical clinics as Alberta’s fall immunization launch nears

Published October 4, 2024

Published by: CBC News
Published on: October 4, 2024
By Jennifer Lee

Family doctors and nurse practitioners have been told they will not be receiving deliveries of flu or COVID-19 vaccines in time for the fall immunization program launch later this month. And it is unclear if they will get any at all.

In addition to AHS public health clinics and pharmacies, community medical clinics can administer publicly funded vaccines, including those that protect against COVID and influenza.

But shipments of vaccines — to these clinics — have stopped, jeopardizing their participation in the fall immunization campaign.

Comments closed

British Columbia

COVID-19 prevalence high and rising across most of province as BCCDC revamps reporting dashboards

Published October 3, 2024

Published by: CTV News
Published on: October 3, 2024
By Ian Holliday

The prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 – the virus that causes COVID-19 – in B.C. wastewater is high and rising across most regions, according to the latest data from the B.C. Centre for Disease Control.

The BCCDC released its first weekly data update of the 2024-25 respiratory illness season Thursday, and took the opportunity to dramatically revise the information it presents and the way it is presented.

Gone is the previous year’s “COVID-19 Situation Report” dashboard, replaced with a new dashboard titled “Viral Respiratory Outcomes.”

While the situation report included specific numbers for newly confirmed infections, hospital admissions, critical care admissions and deaths within 30 days of a positive COVID test, the new dashboard reports the latter three numbers as a rate per million residents.

Comments closed

Ontario

People in Sudbury say free COVID-19 rapid test kits are hard to come by

Published October 3, 2024

Published by: CBC News
Published on: October 3, 2024
By Kate Rutherford

Along with an increase in colds and the flu across northern Ontario this fall; pharmacies are seeing a bump in people searching, unsuccessfully, for rapid antigen COVID-19 tests to take at home.

In Sudbury, Ont., Lucio Fabris was one of them.

He recently went on the hunt for a test for his wife who had been exposed to COVID-19.

They were expecting a grandchild and they didn’t want to spread the virus to vulnerable family members.

Comments closed

vaccines

For Canadians seeking a non-mRNA COVID vaccine, lack of Novavax shot is ‘unfair,’ advocates say

Published October 3, 2024

Published by: CTV News / The Canadian Press
Published on: October 3, 2024
By Hannah Alberga, Nicole Ireland

The federal government’s decision to not provide Novavax’s COVID-19 vaccine this respiratory virus season raises health equity concerns, experts and advocates say, as some Canadians look to the U.S. to get the shot.

The Public Health Agency of Canada said it won’t provide the protein-based vaccine called Nuvaxovid because the manufacturer required a minimum order that far exceeds last year’s uptake of the vaccine.

The health agency said 125,000 Nuvaxovid doses were ordered in 2023, but only 5,529 were administered. This fall, it will only supply provinces and territories with the reformulated Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna mRNA COVID-19 vaccines.

But some Canadians who say they are immunocompromised and have had adverse reactions to the mRNA vaccines are calling the decision unfair.

Comments closed

vaccines

Canadian government not ordering Novavax’s protein-based COVID-19 vaccine this year

Published October 1, 2024

Published by: The Canadian Press
Published on: October 1, 2024
By Nicole Ireland

TORONTO – The Public Health Agency of Canada says it is not providing Novavax’s COVID-19 vaccine this respiratory virus season, citing low demand.

It says the manufacturer requires a minimum order of its updated protein-based vaccine, called Nuvaxovid, which far exceeds the uptake by Canadians last year.

The agency says a very small portion of the doses ordered in 2023 were used and that its decision reflects efforts to limit vaccine wastage.

It is distributing two mRNA vaccines — made by Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna — that are approved for adults and children six months and older.

Comments closed

Month: October 2024