Mpox: Assessment and Vaccination Update

This article reviews information on mpox testing, reporting to Ottawa Public Health (OPH), and information on the Imvamune® vaccine for protection against mpox. For a review of the current epidemiology and risk factors for mpox, please see Mpox: Epidemiology and Risk Factors.

Assessing and diagnosing mpox

During the 2022 global outbreak, mpox was most commonly spread between people through direct close contact with an infected person including intimate or sexual contact. Mpox in Ontario has...

Mpox: Epidemiology and Risk Factors

As of July 31, 2023, a total of 30 additional individuals have tested positive for mpox in Ontario since the provincial mpox outbreak was declared over on December 10, 2022. The new cases of mpox in Ottawa are not yet included in this data that is updated monthly by PHO. The majority of these new cases in Ontario had no travel history during their incubation period suggesting ongoing community transmission in the province. There is a potential for an increase in people being diagnosed with mpox...

Professional Development Opportunities and Resources

1. Pocket Guide for Immunizers: HPV Vaccination, Immunize Canada. The purpose of this new pocket guide is to serve as a tool for health care providers to learn more about human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccines, enabling them to make strong and informed recommendations to their patients. 
   
   
2. New: Environmental Cleaning Resources and Online Learning Modules, Public Health Ontario (PHO). PHO has a variety of Infection Prevention and Control (IPAC) education resources targeted at different health care settings and...
   
   

Reporting Routine Childhood Vaccines: New resources for your patients who may be parents/guardians

Ottawa Public Health has two new resources that can assist physicians and NPs to remind parents to report childhood immunizations for school.

New Immunization Reporting Postcard and Immunization Schedule “Tear-off” Pads

As a simple reminder to parents, OPH has created:

• An Immunization Reporting Postcard that outlines the ways to report a child’s immunization record to OPH, available in English, French, Somali, Arabic, and Simplified Chinese.
• Colourful Immunization Schedule “Tear-off” pads that show...

Key dates and information for 2023-2024 Universal Influenza Immunization Program roll-out in Ottawa

To: Ottawa Physicians, Nurse Practitioners, and Healthcare Providers
Date: September 21, 2023
From: Dr. Trevor Arnason, Associate Medical Officer of Health

Dear Colleagues,

Ottawa Public Health (OPH) expects to receive its first shipment of influenza vaccines from the Ontario Ministry of Health’s Universal Influenza Immunization Program (UIIP) in the week of September 25th.

OPH is planning to distribute influenza vaccines to community providers the week of October 2nd, 2023 for individuals at high risk...