Influenza 2019-2020: Important updates for physicians

Again this year, quadrivalent inactivated influenza vaccine (QIV) will be publicly funded for adults, and children over the age of 6 months.

Flumist® Quadrivalent, a live attenuated quadrivalent influenza vaccine given as a nasal spray, will not be available in Canada for the 2019/2020 influenza season.

High dose trivalent inactivated influenza vaccine (HD-TIV) will be publicly funded for adults 65 years of age and older and will be available to physicians, nurse practitioners and at Ottawa...

Annual Assessment of Student Immunization Records

To: Ottawa ImmunizersFrom: Dr. Robin Taylor, Associate Medical Officer of HealthDate: October 24, 2019

Dear Colleagues,

Ottawa Public Health (OPH) is now beginning the annual process of assessing Ottawa students’ immunization records for compliance with the Immunization of School Pupils Act (ISPA).

To attend school in Ontario, students need to be immunized against nine vaccine preventable diseases or have a medical or religious/philosophical exemption for:

• Diphtheria
• Measles
• Meningococcal diseases

2019-2020 Universal Influenza Immunization Program (UIIP)

To: Ottawa ImmunizersFrom: Dr. Sarah Funnell, Associate Medical Officer of HealthDate: October 10, 2019

Ottawa Public Health (OPH) is adjusting our influenza vaccine distribution plan based on revised amounts received from the Ministry of Health.

OPH has received some doses of quadrivalent influenza vaccine which we are preparing for distribution to you beginning next week. Based on the amount we have received, you will receive 30 percent of the amount you received last season, to begin...

Potential measles exposure, Ottawa

To: Physicians and Nurse Practitioners, Emergency departments, Walk in clinicsFrom: Dr. Monir Taha, Associate Medical Officer of Health, Ottawa Public HealthDate: October 4, 2019

Ottawa Public Health (OPH) has been informed of a confirmed case of measles in Montreal with brief travel to Ottawa on September 22, 2019, during the period of communicability. The period for post-exposure prophylactic immunization and immunoglobulin has ended for this exposure. If an individual presents in whom you...

Cannabis Use Disorder Screening Tools & Referral Resource for Primary Care Providers

These tools can detect substance use and related problems in primary care settings:

• The Severity of Dependence Scale (SDS) (English only): five-item questionnaire tool used to detect psychological dependence on cannabis.
• The Cannabis Use Disorder Identification Test – Revised (English PDF only): eight-item questionnaire tool used to detect hazardous cannabis use and possible cannabis use disorder.
• The ASSIST Project: Alcohol, Smoking and Substance Involvement Screening Test (English only): detailed...