Hastings and Prince Edward Counties/ March 1, 2023
Today, the Hastings Prince Edward Board of Health held its second meeting for 2023.
Respiratory virus season update
Dr. Ethan Toumishey, Medical Officer Health and CEO, informed the Board that COVID-19 and other respiratory illnesses are still active in the region. He thanked the community for their continued efforts to follow public health advice to help to manage the spread of the viruses in the region.
He encouraged them to stay up to date with their COVID-19 vaccinations, as it remains the best defence against COVID-19 and its variants, especially for those at increased risk of severe infection and for anyone who has not received a booster or been infected in the past six months. To check when you should get your booster, use the Booster Dose Eligibility Checker at https://www.ontario.ca/vaccine-eligibility/
Visit hpePublicHealth.ca/vaccine-booking or contact a local pharmacy to find COVID-19 vaccination near you.
Stay up to date with routine immunizations
Dr. Toumishey reminded all residents, no matter their age, to keep up to date with routine immunizations. Maintaining high immunization coverage across the population is essential for effective prevention and control of vaccine-preventable diseases, like measles. He noted that there have been several high-profile outbreaks of measles in parts of North America, as well as confirmed cases of measles in Ontario recently. The resurgence of measles reinforces the importance of staying up to date with routine immunizations. All residents are encouraged to check their (and their children’s) vaccination record to ensure they are up to date.
If you (or your child) are not up to date with vaccines, HPEPH is holding weekly routine immunization clinics for children, youth and adults. Individuals are encouraged to check the publicly funded immunization schedule to ensure that they are up to date with necessary vaccines. You can also check your immunization records using ICON, Ontario’s secure online immunization records website.
Many routine childhood immunizations (or a notarized exemption) are required to attend school or childcare, as outlined in the Immunization of School Pupils Act (ISPA). Families whose children’s vaccines are not up to date have been contacted by public health, and HPEPH is working closely with schools to provide convenient access to vaccination to get kids caught up. Parents/caregivers are reminded that it is their responsibility to update their child’s vaccination record with public health.
To learn more about routine immunization and book an appointment visit our webpage about immunization records or immunization clinics.
Well water testing
As spring approaches, residents who rely on private wells for their drinking water should consider getting their wells tested. The bacteriological tests are free and it is recommended that you test at least seasonally and any time issues are experienced with quality or quantity (e.g. flooding or drought). It is important to note that these tests will only identify bacteriological abnormalities, not chemicals.
Free water sample bottles can be picked up from all HPEPH offices. Visit our website for a step-by-step guide on how to correctly collect your water sample, return it to public health for testing, and understand what the test results mean.
2022 Enforcement Report
HPEPH’s yearly report summarizing inspections and enforcement activity between January 1 and December 31, 2022 was presented today. HPEPH Inspectors and Tobacco Enforcement Officers followed up on 471 COVID-19 related complaints in 2022 and carried out inspections resulting in seven Reopening Ontario Act charges during this period. Charges and convictions for COVID-19 related offences can be viewed on the website at hpePublicHealth.ca/charges-convictions/.
In 2022, Public Health Inspectors working across several Healthy Environments programs completed several activities, including: 1,976 food premises inspections, 613 rabies investigations, 101 small drinking water systems inspections, 279 personal services settings inspections, and 1,448 public complaints, enquiries and requests for information (excluding COVID-19 complaints).
The complete report can be viewed at hpePublicHealth.ca.
Healthy Families Program update
Nancy McGeachy, Director of Clinical Programs, provided the board with an update on the activities of the Healthy Families team. The team of public health nurses and family home visitors has a goal of providing optimal preconception, pregnancy, newborn, child, youth, parental and family health to local families and parents-to-be. In 2019 a program review resulted in recommendations to establish prenatal education programs tailored to at-risk groups or priority populations, address perinatal mental health by improving access to mental health care services, and develop a referral pathway and screening process for perinatal mental health concerns.
To meet these objectives, this year, the Healthy Families team is:
- prioritizing the re‐opening of Baby & Me Drop In program
- leading implementation of community wide early childhood development screening
- screening for perinatal mood disorders and providing referrals for support
- launching the Nurse‐Family Partnership (NFP), a home visiting program to improve pregnancy outcomes, infant and child development, and improve parent’s health and economic self-sufficiency
- launching Steps to Wellness, a nine-week program that supports development of the skills needed to help manage prenatal and postpartum depression and anxiety
Visit hpePublicHealth.ca for more information.
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Media contacts
Emily Tubbs, Communications Specialist
etubbs@hpeph.ca
Maureen Hyland, Communications Specialist
hyland.maureen@hpeph.ca
About Hastings Prince Edward Public Health
Hastings Prince Edward Public Health (HPEPH) is a public health agency that serves the counties of Hastings and Prince Edward from four local offices. We monitor the health of our local population, deliver programs and services within our communities, and help develop healthy public policies. We provide information and support in many areas to help improve the health and well-being of our residents. Together with our communities, we help people become as healthy as they can be. For more information, please visit hpePublicHealth.ca. You can also find us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter and Instagram.
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