News

Updated provincial measles vaccination recommendations

To: Ottawa Physicians and Nurse Practitioners
Date: May 14, 2025
From: Dr. Laura Bourns, Deputy Medical Officer of Health
Subject: Updated provincial measles vaccination recommendations for outbreak affected areas

Dear Colleagues,

Public Health Ontario has shared a new resource entitled “Routine and Outbreak-related Measles Immunization Schedules,” which provides an overview of Ontario’s publicly funded routine immunization schedule for measles and the measles immunization schedules for outbreak...

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Cases of Measles in Ottawa

To: Ottawa Physicians and Nurse Practitioners
Date: May 1, 2025
From: Dr. Michelle Foote, Associate Medical Officer of Health
Subject: Cases of Measles in Ottawa

Dear Colleagues,

Two cases of international travel-related measles have been reported to Ottawa Public Health (OPH). Consequently, other persons may have been exposed to measles in Ottawa, and details of these exposures can be found in the Public Service Announcement. Secondary cases from these exposures could occur any time until 21 days...

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HPV Vaccination: Key Points for Healthcare Providers

Although cervical cancer rates in Ontario have declined slightly over the past two decades—largely because of effective screening programs that detect and treat precancerous changes—the incidence of other HPV-related cancers, particularly oropharyngeal cancers, has been rising. This trend underscores the importance of HPV vaccination as a critical tool in cancer prevention.

Estimates for 2024 indicated that 669 Ontarians would be diagnosed with cervical cancer, with 159 deaths projected....

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Celebrating Physicians on National Physicians' Day: A Thank You from Ottawa Public Health

A Message from Interim Deputy Medical Officer of Health (DMOH), Dr. Laura Bourns

As we approach National Physicians’ Day on May 1, I want to recognize and say thank you to all the physicians in our community. On behalf of Ottawa Public Health (OPH), I want to thank you for work you do for your patients and the community. Your dedication is integral to improving population health and health equity.

As the interim Deputy Medical Officer of Health (DMOH) for OPH, I would also like to recognize the...

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Individuals with Interim Federal Health Program (IFHP) coverage eligible for HPV testing

Individuals covered under the Interim Federal Health Program (IFHP) in Ontario are now eligible for HPV-based cervical screening. The recent transition from cytology to HPV based cervical screening is a major step towards the eradication of cervical cancer. 

Cervical cancer is almost entirely preventable with the combination of Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination and screening. Many refugees may not have had access to cervical screening in their country of origin and have lower cervical...

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