Ontario Doctors Advise Vaccines Ahead Of Fall Flu Covid 19

The doctors spoke on a virtual panel hosted by the Ontario Medical Association for a future discussion about the pandemic and other health care issues in the coming months. Infectious disease specialist Dr. Zain Chagla in St. Joseph’s Healthcare Hamilton said other countries have seen flu spikes this year and Ontario should prepare for something similar, as well as a possible spike in COVID-19 cases in the fall when people start gathering more indoors often. “I think with our … globalization, world travel, everything back on the table, it really means the flu is going to be introduced more into Ontario, emphasizing the need for people to get the flu shot,” he said. Flu vaccines can help prevent severe symptomatic illness and related health care strain as the system faces staffing shortages and other challenges, Chagla noted. After a summer of long wait times and temporary emergency department closures due to staff shortages, emergency physician Dr. Andrew Petrosoniak said he expects pressure on the hospital to worsen in the fall. “I think there’s about a 99 per cent chance that emergency departments in Ontario will be worse in the fall than they are now,” he said. Petrosoniak said the expected increase in the spread of respiratory diseases could have a big impact on an already strained hospital system. “We tend to see an increase in volumes (in the fall),” he said. “Even if it’s a small increase, when you’ve maxed out a system, any small increase has the risk of overwhelming it.” Petrosoniak said hospital staff are able to provide care to people in life-threatening situations and will continue to do so. But the doctor at St. Michael’s of Toronto is concerned that people with less obviously serious health concerns may slip through the cracks and worsen their conditions as a result. “I’m sure things will be lost. I think that’s almost certain,” Petrosoniak said. On the topic of vaccinations, pediatrician Dr. Sloane Freeman, who also works at St. Michael’s, added that he is concerned about children falling behind on COVID-19 vaccinations and other routine shots that have been missed during the pandemic. Ontario children were out of school for a particularly long time compared to other provinces, and missed many routine immunizations as a result. This is of particular concern as countries around the world identify vaccine-preventable diseases such as the virus that causes polio, he said. Polio was found in New York City’s sewage, and a positive case was identified last month. Canada has said it plans to begin testing sewage for the virus soon. “We really need to focus on getting kids to keep up and get these routine vaccinations that we otherwise take for granted,” Freeman said, adding that doctors also want kids to get flu shots. Regarding COVID-19 vaccines, Freeman said children “are not being covered at the rate we need and hope,” noting that children living in poverty are further behind in their vaccinations for the virus. “We really need to focus on increasing that for kids, especially as we move into the fall, thinking about going back to school, being indoors,” he said. “As the rates of COVID rise, we really want our kids to be protected.” This report by The Canadian Press was first published on August 17, 2022.

title: “Ontario Doctors Advise Vaccines Ahead Of Fall Flu Covid 19 Klmat” ShowToc: true date: “2022-10-30” author: “Sasha Smith”

The doctors spoke on a virtual panel hosted by the Ontario Medical Association for a future discussion about the pandemic and other health care issues in the coming months. Infectious disease specialist Dr. Zain Chagla in St. Joseph’s Healthcare Hamilton said other countries have seen flu spikes this year and Ontario should prepare for something similar, as well as a possible spike in COVID-19 cases in the fall when people start gathering more indoors often. “I think with our … globalization, world travel, everything back on the table, it really means the flu is going to be introduced more into Ontario, emphasizing the need for people to get the flu shot,” he said. Flu vaccines can help prevent severe symptomatic illness and related health care strain as the system faces staffing shortages and other challenges, Chagla noted. After a summer of long wait times and temporary emergency department closures due to staff shortages, emergency physician Dr. Andrew Petrosoniak said he expects pressure on the hospital to worsen in the fall. “I think there’s about a 99 per cent chance that emergency departments in Ontario will be worse in the fall than they are now,” he said. Petrosoniak said the expected increase in the spread of respiratory diseases could have a big impact on an already strained hospital system. “We tend to see an increase in volumes (in the fall),” he said. “Even if it’s a small increase, when you’ve maxed out a system, any small increase has the risk of overwhelming it.” Petrosoniak said hospital staff are able to provide care to people in life-threatening situations and will continue to do so. But the doctor at St. Michael’s of Toronto is concerned that people with less obviously serious health concerns may slip through the cracks and worsen their conditions as a result. “I’m sure things will be lost. I think that’s almost certain,” Petrosoniak said. On the topic of vaccinations, pediatrician Dr. Sloane Freeman, who also works at St. Michael’s, added that he is concerned about children falling behind on COVID-19 vaccinations and other routine shots that have been missed during the pandemic. Ontario children were out of school for a particularly long time compared to other provinces, and missed many routine immunizations as a result. This is of particular concern as countries around the world identify vaccine-preventable diseases such as the virus that causes polio, he said. Polio was found in New York City’s sewage, and a positive case was identified last month. Canada has said it plans to begin testing sewage for the virus soon. “We really need to focus on getting kids to keep up and get these routine vaccinations that we otherwise take for granted,” Freeman said, adding that doctors also want kids to get flu shots. Regarding COVID-19 vaccines, Freeman said children “are not being covered at the rate we need and hope,” noting that children living in poverty are further behind in their vaccinations for the virus. “We really need to focus on increasing that for kids, especially as we move into the fall, thinking about going back to school, being indoors,” he said. “As the rates of COVID rise, we really want our kids to be protected.” This report by The Canadian Press was first published on August 17, 2022.

title: “Ontario Doctors Advise Vaccines Ahead Of Fall Flu Covid 19 Klmat” ShowToc: true date: “2022-12-11” author: “Maria Bowlin”

The doctors spoke on a virtual panel hosted by the Ontario Medical Association for a future discussion about the pandemic and other health care issues in the coming months. Infectious disease specialist Dr. Zain Chagla in St. Joseph’s Healthcare Hamilton said other countries have seen flu spikes this year and Ontario should prepare for something similar, as well as a possible spike in COVID-19 cases in the fall when people start gathering more indoors often. “I think with our … globalization, world travel, everything back on the table, it really means the flu is going to be introduced more into Ontario, emphasizing the need for people to get the flu shot,” he said. Flu vaccines can help prevent severe symptomatic illness and related health care strain as the system faces staffing shortages and other challenges, Chagla noted. After a summer of long wait times and temporary emergency department closures due to staff shortages, emergency physician Dr. Andrew Petrosoniak said he expects pressure on the hospital to worsen in the fall. “I think there’s about a 99 per cent chance that emergency departments in Ontario will be worse in the fall than they are now,” he said. Petrosoniak said the expected increase in the spread of respiratory diseases could have a big impact on an already strained hospital system. “We tend to see an increase in volumes (in the fall),” he said. “Even if it’s a small increase, when you’ve maxed out a system, any small increase has the risk of overwhelming it.” Petrosoniak said hospital staff are able to provide care to people in life-threatening situations and will continue to do so. But the doctor at St. Michael’s of Toronto is concerned that people with less obviously serious health concerns may slip through the cracks and worsen their conditions as a result. “I’m sure things will be lost. I think that’s almost certain,” Petrosoniak said. On the topic of vaccinations, pediatrician Dr. Sloane Freeman, who also works at St. Michael’s, added that he is concerned about children falling behind on COVID-19 vaccinations and other routine shots that have been missed during the pandemic. Ontario children were out of school for a particularly long time compared to other provinces, and missed many routine immunizations as a result. This is of particular concern as countries around the world identify vaccine-preventable diseases such as the virus that causes polio, he said. Polio was found in New York City’s sewage, and a positive case was identified last month. Canada has said it plans to begin testing sewage for the virus soon. “We really need to focus on getting kids to keep up and get these routine vaccinations that we otherwise take for granted,” Freeman said, adding that doctors also want kids to get flu shots. Regarding COVID-19 vaccines, Freeman said children “are not being covered at the rate we need and hope,” noting that children living in poverty are further behind in their vaccinations for the virus. “We really need to focus on increasing that for kids, especially as we move into the fall, thinking about going back to school, being indoors,” he said. “As the rates of COVID rise, we really want our kids to be protected.” This report by The Canadian Press was first published on August 17, 2022.

title: “Ontario Doctors Advise Vaccines Ahead Of Fall Flu Covid 19 Klmat” ShowToc: true date: “2022-11-08” author: “James Huffman”

The doctors spoke on a virtual panel hosted by the Ontario Medical Association for a future discussion about the pandemic and other health care issues in the coming months. Infectious disease specialist Dr. Zain Chagla in St. Joseph’s Healthcare Hamilton said other countries have seen flu spikes this year and Ontario should prepare for something similar, as well as a possible spike in COVID-19 cases in the fall when people start gathering more indoors often. “I think with our … globalization, world travel, everything back on the table, it really means the flu is going to be introduced more into Ontario, emphasizing the need for people to get the flu shot,” he said. Flu vaccines can help prevent severe symptomatic illness and related health care strain as the system faces staffing shortages and other challenges, Chagla noted. After a summer of long wait times and temporary emergency department closures due to staff shortages, emergency physician Dr. Andrew Petrosoniak said he expects pressure on the hospital to worsen in the fall. “I think there’s about a 99 per cent chance that emergency departments in Ontario will be worse in the fall than they are now,” he said. Petrosoniak said the expected increase in the spread of respiratory diseases could have a big impact on an already strained hospital system. “We tend to see an increase in volumes (in the fall),” he said. “Even if it’s a small increase, when you’ve maxed out a system, any small increase has the risk of overwhelming it.” Petrosoniak said hospital staff are able to provide care to people in life-threatening situations and will continue to do so. But the doctor at St. Michael’s of Toronto is concerned that people with less obviously serious health concerns may slip through the cracks and worsen their conditions as a result. “I’m sure things will be lost. I think that’s almost certain,” Petrosoniak said. On the topic of vaccinations, pediatrician Dr. Sloane Freeman, who also works at St. Michael’s, added that he is concerned about children falling behind on COVID-19 vaccinations and other routine shots that have been missed during the pandemic. Ontario children were out of school for a particularly long time compared to other provinces, and missed many routine immunizations as a result. This is of particular concern as countries around the world identify vaccine-preventable diseases such as the virus that causes polio, he said. Polio was found in New York City’s sewage, and a positive case was identified last month. Canada has said it plans to begin testing sewage for the virus soon. “We really need to focus on getting kids to keep up and get these routine vaccinations that we otherwise take for granted,” Freeman said, adding that doctors also want kids to get flu shots. Regarding COVID-19 vaccines, Freeman said children “are not being covered at the rate we need and hope,” noting that children living in poverty are further behind in their vaccinations for the virus. “We really need to focus on increasing that for kids, especially as we move into the fall, thinking about going back to school, being indoors,” he said. “As the rates of COVID rise, we really want our kids to be protected.” This report by The Canadian Press was first published on August 17, 2022.

title: “Ontario Doctors Advise Vaccines Ahead Of Fall Flu Covid 19 Klmat” ShowToc: true date: “2022-11-30” author: “Kenneth Kats”

The doctors spoke on a virtual panel hosted by the Ontario Medical Association for a future discussion about the pandemic and other health care issues in the coming months. Infectious disease specialist Dr. Zain Chagla in St. Joseph’s Healthcare Hamilton said other countries have seen flu spikes this year and Ontario should prepare for something similar, as well as a possible spike in COVID-19 cases in the fall when people start gathering more indoors often. “I think with our … globalization, world travel, everything back on the table, it really means the flu is going to be introduced more into Ontario, emphasizing the need for people to get the flu shot,” he said. Flu vaccines can help prevent severe symptomatic illness and related health care strain as the system faces staffing shortages and other challenges, Chagla noted. After a summer of long wait times and temporary emergency department closures due to staff shortages, emergency physician Dr. Andrew Petrosoniak said he expects pressure on the hospital to worsen in the fall. “I think there’s about a 99 per cent chance that emergency departments in Ontario will be worse in the fall than they are now,” he said. Petrosoniak said the expected increase in the spread of respiratory diseases could have a big impact on an already strained hospital system. “We tend to see an increase in volumes (in the fall),” he said. “Even if it’s a small increase, when you’ve maxed out a system, any small increase has the risk of overwhelming it.” Petrosoniak said hospital staff are able to provide care to people in life-threatening situations and will continue to do so. But the doctor at St. Michael’s of Toronto is concerned that people with less obviously serious health concerns may slip through the cracks and worsen their conditions as a result. “I’m sure things will be lost. I think that’s almost certain,” Petrosoniak said. On the topic of vaccinations, pediatrician Dr. Sloane Freeman, who also works at St. Michael’s, added that he is concerned about children falling behind on COVID-19 vaccinations and other routine shots that have been missed during the pandemic. Ontario children were out of school for a particularly long time compared to other provinces, and missed many routine immunizations as a result. This is of particular concern as countries around the world identify vaccine-preventable diseases such as the virus that causes polio, he said. Polio was found in New York City’s sewage, and a positive case was identified last month. Canada has said it plans to begin testing sewage for the virus soon. “We really need to focus on getting kids to keep up and get these routine vaccinations that we otherwise take for granted,” Freeman said, adding that doctors also want kids to get flu shots. Regarding COVID-19 vaccines, Freeman said children “are not being covered at the rate we need and hope,” noting that children living in poverty are further behind in their vaccinations for the virus. “We really need to focus on increasing that for kids, especially as we move into the fall, thinking about going back to school, being indoors,” he said. “As the rates of COVID rise, we really want our kids to be protected.” This report by The Canadian Press was first published on August 17, 2022.