Public Health Alerts

To: Ottawa Physicians
Date: September 2, 2025
From: Dr. Laura Bourns, Deputy Medical Officer of Health
Subject: Discontinuation of Provincial COVID-19 Test Results Viewer

Dear Colleagues,

Please see below a memo from Ontario’s Chief Medical Officer of Health regarding the discontinuation of the provincial COVID-19 Test Results Viewer.

To: Ottawa Physicians
Date: August 29, 2025
From: Dr. Laura Bourns, Deputy Medical Officer of Health
Subject: Market Withdrawal of COVID-19 KP.

• Public Health Alerts

To: Ottawa Physicians and Nurse Practitioners
Date: Aug 27, 2025
From: Dr. Robin Taylor, Associate Medical Officer of Health

Dear Colleagues,

Ottawa Public Health (OPH) is writing to heighten your awareness of the possibility of illness from West Nile virus (WNV) infection in Ottawa, as the first human case of WNV has been reported in an Ottawa resident for the 2025 season.

To: Ottawa Physicians and Nurse Practitioners 
Date: August 20, 2025
From: Dr. Laura Bourns, Deputy Medical Officer of Health
Subject: Updated PHO AEFI Reporting Form

Dear Colleagues,

In Ontario, Public Health Ontario (PHO) leads the provincial surveillance of adverse events following immunization (AEFIs).

To: Ottawa Physicians and Nurse Practitioners 
Date: August 18, 2025
From: Dr. Michelle Foote, Associate Medical Officer of Health
Subject: Rabies Vaccine and Immunoglobulin Supply

Dear Colleagues,

Ontario is experiencing a shortage of rabies vaccines and rabies immunoglobulins (RabIg).

To: Ottawa Physicians and Nurse Practitioners 
Date: August 14, 2025
From: Dr. Michelle Foote, Associate Medical Officer of Health
Subject: Confirmed case of measles in Ottawa

Dear Colleagues,

A case of measles has been reported to Ottawa Public Health with potential exposures to the virus for others in the community.

To: Ottawa Physicians and Nurse Practitioners 
Date: August 12, 2025
From: Dr. Monir Taha, Associate Medical Officer of Health
Subject: West Nile virus confirmed in Ottawa area mosquitoes

Dear Colleagues,

Ottawa Public Health (OPH) is writing to heighten your awareness of the possibility of illness from West Nile virus (WNV) infection in Ottawa.

To: Ottawa Physicians and Nurse Practitioners
Date: July 29, 2025
From: Dr. Michelle Foote, Associate Medical Officer of Health
Subject: Syphilis testing update and screening recommendations

Public Health Ontario Laboratory (PHOL) has updated its testing approach for syphilis lesion specimens.

To: Ottawa Physicians and Nurse Practitioners  
Date: July 16, 2025
From: Dr. Laura Bourns, Deputy Medical Officer of Health
Subject: Pentacel Vaccine: Important Reminders

Dear Colleagues,

Since the program transition for DTaP-IPV-Hib vaccination from Pediacel® to Pentacel® in July 2024, the manufacturer, Sanofi, has received pharmacovigilance reports of mixing errors with Pentacel®.

To: Ottawa Physicians and Nurse Practitioners  
Date: July 10, 2025
From: Dr. Monir Taha, Associate Medical Officer of Health
Subject: Vector-borne disease testing changes at PHOL

Dear Colleagues,

Public Health Ontario Laboratory (PHOL) has recently updated its testing protocols for vector-borne disease testing.