Latest news with #SWPH
CBC
6 days ago
- Health
- CBC
Southwestern Public Health ends weekly measles reports amid falloff in local cases
Social Sharing Southwestern Public Health is winding down its weekly measles reports amid a drop in the number of local cases being reported. But health officials stressed on Tuesday that the move doesn't mean the months-long outbreak that prompted them is over. The health unit is instead directing Elgin and Oxford County residents to refer to the measles case reports issued each week by Public Health Ontario, which consists of data from Ontario health units. While SWPH is still conducting its own internal surveillance, not having to prepare and publish local weekly reports will help free up some resources, said Carolyn Richards, the program manager for SWPH's foundational standards team. "Cases are much lower now than they were in the spring. It could be because children are out of school for the summer, like it could be something that's temporary," Richards told CBC News. Richards added that the health unit would consider bringing back the local reports if measles cases began to rise again. In a statement, the region's medical officer of health, Dr. Ninh Tran, said the risk of measles continues for those who are susceptible. "Please continue to be vigilant in preventing measles and protecting yourselves and loved ones through vaccination," he said. Family doctor says measles outbreaks in Canada are entirely preventable 6 days ago While B.C. has recorded a little over 100 cases of measles as of July 5, neighbouring Alberta has recorded more cases than the entirety of the U.S. despite having a fraction of the population. Dr. Susan Kuo, a Richmond family physician, said the current outbreak could be prevented with up-to-date vaccinations, and the COVID-19 pandemic had led to an increase in vaccine skepticism and poor disease mitigation. The health unit began issuing its own weekly reports in April, when the region was Canada's measles hot spot, accounting at one point for nearly half of all measles cases in Ontario. Those numbers have fallen significantly in recent weeks. Last week, the health unit reported only one confirmed case, the same as the previous two weeks. Richards said they were meant to provide the public a more precise, detailed look at the local data in comparison to Public Health Ontario's reports, which provide a broader provincial overview. While the provincial reports used data provided by SWPH, figures could sometimes differ slightly from what local health officials were telling residents due to routine data cleansing. "Now that the numbers are much lower, that risk of a difference between us and the provincial report is so much lower that we can switch to using them as the source," Richards said. Most of the recent cases reported by Public Health Ontario have come from nearby Huron and Perth counties. Of the 32 new cases reported last week, 19 were within the jurisdiction of Huron-Perth Public Health, which covers Clinton, Goderich, Stratford and St. Marys, among other communities. Dr. Miriam Klassen, the region's medical officer of health, told CBC News last week that the cluster of cases was linked to an exposure at a private function, and large households in the community with multiple cases. Measles cases in Alberta surpass 1,300 4 days ago As Alberta's measles outbreak continues to grow, some residents are reconsidering travel plans — particularly families with young children or individuals with autoimmune concerns. Dr. Christopher Labos addresses and debunks common misinformation about measles vaccines and preventative treatments. CORRECTION (July 18, 2025): A previous version of this title incorrectly stated the number of confirmed measles cases in Alberta as 13,000. In fact, the number of cases in the province is 1,300. Ontario had recorded a total of 2,276 measles cases as of last week, linked to a travel-related case in New Brunswick in October. The majority, nearly 74 per cent, involved infants, children, and adolescents 19 and younger, according to Public Health Ontario. Of those, 96 per cent were unvaccinated. At least 68 per cent of adult cases involved unvaccinated individuals. While Ontario's case count is still the country's highest, attention has lately turned to Alberta. The province reported 47 cases over the weekend, bringing its total tally to 1,454 as of Monday.
CTV News
6 days ago
- Health
- CTV News
SWPH no longer providing weekly measles updates
Due to the ongoing pattern of fewer measles cases being reported to the health unit, Southwestern Public Health (SWPH) has decided to conclude publishing its weekly Measles Outbreak Report until further notice. Instead, SWPH is encouraging residents of Elgin County, Oxford County, and the City of St. Thomas to view the weekly measles epidemiology report published by Public Health Ontario. 'The decision to end our local measles dashboard does not mean this outbreak has ended. Instead, we are recommending a provincial source to inform our community as we move through this outbreak response,' said Dr. Ninh Tran, Medical Officer of Health. 'The risk of measles persists for those who are susceptible. Please continue to be vigilant in preventing measles and protecting yourselves and loved ones through vaccination.' The latest measles outbreak report from SWPH on July 17 indicated there have been 759 total cases in the region since October 2024.
CTV News
23-05-2025
- Health
- CTV News
Measles outbreak posing challenges: SWPH
Southwestern Public Health (SWPH) officials say they're dealing with a measles outbreak posing significant challenges.
CBC
11-04-2025
- Health
- CBC
At the epicentre of Ontario's measles outbreak, residents reel with concern
Outside the Southwestern Public Health (SWPH) building, St. Thomas resident Cemon Aswathi sighed with relief after booking her 17-month-old son Nathan for the second dose of a vaccine that protects against the measles. "We booked it in advance just to be protected more," said Aswathi. "It's difficult since he's very young and it's very easy to catch, so it's a frightening situation when children are suffering." The region, spanning across St. Thomas and smaller townships and municipalities in Oxford and Elgin counties, has accounted for about 40 per cent of measles infections reported in Ontario over the last six months. Thirty-two new cases were recorded this past week. The current measles outbreak, which began last fall, has been the largest Canada has seen in more than a decade. Health officials in Ontario said they've now seen 816 people with measles, the majority unvaccinated children. Public health units overseeing Ontario's southwest region account for roughly 88 per cent of the reported cases since October. A regional breakdown can be found here. "Majority of the people I know want to get vaccinated because they're afraid and don't want to get [the measles]. People are also afraid to go to the emergency now because it's a huge breakout," said Aswathi. Working to get message to Mennonites In March, Ontario's chief medical officer of health Dr. Kieran Moore confirmed in a memo that the current outbreak was traced to a "large gathering with guests from Mennonite communities in New Brunswick last fall," and has since spread across the country. The town of Aylmer in Elgin County is home to a large Mennonite community and a local organization is working with the health unit to ensure residents are receiving public health messages. Mennonite Community Services (MCS) of Southern Ontario translates the health unit's ads to the Low German language and airs them on its 24/7 local radio station. "People come in for various information at all times, so our doors are always open because we want to make sure the newcomers get the support they need and we can refer them to where they need to go," said executive director Anna Bergen, adding the ads aren't specific to measles. "We assume they are getting the message and that allows them to reach out to their choice of health care provider." There's also worry that people from the Mennonite, Amish and other anabaptist communities will be shunned or discrminated against because of the outbreak. "Our community is diverse and we have different views so nobody wants to be put in one pocket as one or the other. Aylmer is a great town and I'd like for it to be seen as that," Bergen said. The outbreak is extremely worrisome for Aylmer resident Jodi Nesbitt, whose daughter has a two-year-old child and is pregnant with her second. "Every time your child gets a cough, cold or a little tiny spot, you're always thinking 'Is it measles, should we stay home, should we isolate?' There's so many questions for people," said Nesbitt, who works as a nurse at a retirement home in Oxford County's Tillsonburg. "We're very concerned about it because the two-year-old hasn't been fully immunized yet so hopefully he can get his second one soon because they did open it up." Children can receive one dose of the vaccine at 12 months old. Due to the unprecedented measles outbreak, they can now get a second dosage as early as four weeks after the first one, according to SPWH's website. Infants aged 6 to 11 months are also now eligible to receive a dose of measles-containing vaccine for earlier protection against measles, the health unit said. Health officials are expecting the outbreak could last up to two years by the time it spreads through unvaccinated communities, Dr. Asmaa Hussain, a pediatrician at St. Thomas General Hospital told CBC's Afternoon Drive on Thursday. "I'm very concerned, it does not take a lot to bring some of these infections here and it will spread really quickly," said Hussain, adding it will add more strain to an already struggling health-care system. "We are in this for the long haul."
CBC
10-04-2025
- Health
- CBC
35 new measles cases reported south of London in past week
Southwestern Public Health (SWPH) says measles in its jurisdiction have grown to take up most of the province's outbreak, with 35 new cases reported in the past seven days. The total number of cases reported in the the area covering Elgin and Oxford Counties, as well as the City of St. Thomas, is now 343 since October 2024 - more than half of the province's total of 655 as of April 2. Thirty-five of those cases have required hospitalization at some point, said medical officer of health Dr. Ninh Tran, and more than 90 per cent have been in someone who has not been immunized. "My message today is for parents and guardians in our region," Tran said during a media briefing Thursday. "If you have children attending school or childcare, it is important to know what to expect if there was a measles exposure in one of these settings." The health unit is required to investigate possible exposures after receiving a positive measles test result, he said. While steps are taken to tell the public they may have been exposed, there's no guarantee the health unit can reach everyone. "The people who've had two doses of measles-containing vaccine are generally not at risk from that exposure as well," Tran added. "Those born before 1970 are generally not at risk. Under-immunized or unimmunized individuals are at risk from that exposure." The majority of cases reported to SWPH — more than 73 per cent — continue to be in people under the age of 18. The numbers are part of the largest measles outbreak Canada has seen in more than a decade. Ontario's measles outbreak prompts New York travel advisory 2 days ago Duration 1:49 Measles cases are on the rise in Ontario and other parts of North America. The virus's spread has become so large that public health officials in New York have issued a travel advisory to those travelling to Ontario. CBC's Greg Ross has the latest on what people need to know. A memo from Ontario's chief medical officer of health Dr. Kieran Moore in March confirmed that the current outbreak was from a "large gathering with guests from Mennonite communities in New Brunswick last fall." There has been an uptick in vaccinations across all ages, said Tran. They are up 130 per cent between January 1st and April 8th compared to the same period last year. Tran is also urging parents to update their child's vaccination records after getting immunized. It save a lot of time and effort for the health unit if a vaccine registry was digitized, he added. "Either people can't seem to find them, so they have to contact their healthcare provider and then report to us," he said. "[A digital registry] would save a lot of additional time and energy for parents, for healthcare providers and as far as ourselves and it would really help guide our response. That would be incredible." Most people in the province still track their shots on paper, which the Ontario Immunization Advisory Committee is encouraging the Ministry of Health to change. The committee said in a position statement that it "strongly urges" the province to develop an electronic immunization registry, which would replace the current method of keeping track of shots on yellow paper.
