Infectious Diseases

The highly infectious disease is still predominantly impacting unvaccinated infants, kids and teenagers, most in Southwestern and Grand Erie public health units.

The National Advisory Committee on Immunization recently issued an updated statement on the use of respiratory syncytial virus vaccines in older adults.

Public Health Ontario is reporting 470 measles cases since an outbreak began in October. That’s an increase of 120 cases since March 14.

More than 12,000 individual birds have tested positive since the virus began spreading, according to the U.S. Agriculture Department.

National Advisory Committee on Immunization’s update also addresses use of new RSV mRNA vaccine (mResvia) and an expanded age range for Arexvy. 

The number of cases reported in Ontario over the past five months is almost four times the province saw in the decade between 2013 and 2023.

In Ontario, the latest available data shows cervical cancer screening rates steadily declined over the course of a decade, dropping from about 67% in 2007 to 2009, to 54.5 in 2019 to 2021.

Researchers say their inhaled vaccine could potentially offer even better protection than the currently available needle-based vaccines.