Latest news with #DavidAoki
CBC
22-05-2025
- Health
- CBC
4 schools flagged for possible measles exposure in Waterloo region as cases rise
There are four schools in Waterloo region now being identified as potential public exposure locations for measles as public health warns that cases will rise. "Waterloo region continues to see an increase in cases and exposures locally, which is consistent with the trajectory of the provincial outbreak," Lynsey Slupeiks, the manager of corporate communications for the Region of Waterloo, said in a news release Friday. As of Wednesday, Waterloo region has had 78 confirmed measles cases and 22 probable cases — that's since the provincial outbreak in October. Slupeiks warns that measles exposure can happen in a variety of settings, from schools to public transportation. "I think what we're seeing now is that there is a circulation throughout the region… not just in isolated geographical areas," said David Aoki, the region's director of infectious disease and chief nursing officer. 4 school exposures Eastwood Collegiate Institute in Kitchener was closed on May 15 and 16 after public health confirmed a case of measles, with exposures on May 7 and 8. St. Mary's High School in Kitchener was then closed on May 16, also following a confirmed case of measles from exposures on May 8. Both schools have since reopened, but not everyone has returned to school, Aoki said. "If students have no doses [of vaccine]… they unfortunately have to be excluded for the entire 21 days," said Aoki. The 21-day exclusion period, according to Aoki, is the number of days students without up-to-date vaccination records have to be excluded from attending school counted from the last day of exposure. That's the period of time it can take for someone who was exposed to the virus to develop signs and symptoms of measles and potentially become infectious. "A single dose will not allow them to get back into school… [but] there is a small number of students who may be able to return if they only had one dose, and we have provided clinics with the schools already to help service them," he further explained. Aoki said "the vast majority" of students and staff at the two schools were fully immunized. "That's partly thanks to our annual running of the Immunization of School Pupils' Act to make sure that students' records are up to date," he said. Two other schools in the region were also identified as potential public exposure locations. Winterbourne Parochial Elementary School in Kitchener had exposures on May 2, and Franklin Public School in Kitchener had exposures on May 12 and 15. The two schools were not closed. Aoki says the measles cases are "still predominantly similar" to what is happening on a provincial level. That is, most of the confirmed cases are people who are unvaccinated, or are only partially vaccinated. Guelph school exposures Guelph and the surrounding area were declared as a "risk area" for measles early May. Three public schools in Guelph were identified as exposure locations so far in May. Erin Public School has had exposures on three separate occasions – May 1, 2, and 5. Paisley Road Public School has had exposures between April 30 and May 1. Guelph Outdoor School was reported to have measles exposure on May 2. Despite the exposures, none of the Guelph schools were closed. Expanded eligibility for measles vaccine In the news release Friday, public health announced new guidelines for the expanded eligibility for measles vaccine. The guidelines are as follows: Infants age six months to one year of age are recommended to receive a single dose of vaccine (they must receive two additional doses after their first birthday). Children aged one year to four years are recommended to receive an earlier second dose of vaccine as soon as possible (in the routine schedule they were eligible after four years of age). Adults born on or after 1970 are now recommended to receive a second dose of vaccine if they do not already have one. Aoki says public health is working on arranging clinics to get people who may not have health care providers, as well as those who need support in getting vaccinated.
Yahoo
15-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Kitchener high school closed after measles exposure, cases in Waterloo region climb to 59
Eastwood Collegiate Institute in Kitchener is closed for Thursday after a confirmed case of measles. The Waterloo Region District School Board (WRDSB) says the school was closed to give Region of Waterloo Public Health the time it needs to complete required steps in vaccination verification. The confirmed case of measles at Eastwood Collegiate also caused exposures on May 7 and May 8. Public health will be reaching out to people who may have been exposed to the virus on those days. They will be given information about the required next steps. "We continue to work closely with public health to ensure appropriate infection prevention and control practices are in place and that we have the necessary support," WRDSB said in a notice posted online on Wednesday night. David Aoki, the region's director of infectious disease and chief nursing officer, said public health didn't order the school to be closed but they "work together with the school board" to make the decision. "Public health did not say that it must be closed, but we certainly support the the decision in this case while we work to work through this kind of exposure," he said. "We do have to verify for staff and students what their their records are. We obviously have a lot of the student records already because of the Immunization of School Pupils Act, but it's based on the timing and our ability to do that." The public school board said Eastwood students will continue their classes virtually. It says some students may use the day to work on previously-assigned homework. There were 920 high school students across Waterloo region who were suspended from school last week for not having up-to-date vaccination records on file with public health. The news is particularly concerning because there's a rise of measles cases throughout the province, Dr. Hsiu-Li Wang, the region's medical officer of health, said in a release last Thursday announcing the suspensions. "Vaccination is the best way to protect against serious illness," Wang said in a press release. The Immunization of School Pupils Act says students must be vaccinated or have a valid exemption on file in order to attend school. 59 cases in Waterloo region There are now 59 measles cases in Waterloo region and 53 in the area covered by Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph Public Health. The new numbers were released by Public Health Ontario on Thursday and reflect 11 new cases in Waterloo region and seven in Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph between May 6 to May 13. In all of Ontario, there were 182 new cases in the same time period, bringing the total to 1,622. Dr. Nicola Mercer, CEO and medical officer of health for Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph Public Health, said in an email to CBC News on Thursday that the area has been designated a risk area for transmission of measles and people should take that seriously. "The virus is spreading in the general population and those who are not vaccinated or immune are at risk for getting and transmitting measles," she said. "I encourage everyone who is not yet vaccinated to contact your primary care provider or public health." Aoki said they are also encouraging people who are not fully vaccinated to talk to a doctor or public health about their options. He said there are people who are opting not to get themselves or their children vaccinated, and in some cases, that's because people have forgotten how serious measles can be. "There are people who have concerns about vaccines and then we try to reach those," he said. "I think for measles, unfortunately, is a victim of its own success," he added. "We really haven't seen any outbreaks or transmission of measles like this since the 1990s and really that's because of vaccines. So we haven't ... had to worry about measles deaths or injuries because we haven't seen it." Schools in Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph with exposures In the area covered by Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph Public Health, four schools are listed as having measles exposures, with one school having three separate exposure dates: April 28 to April 29 — Central Peel Public School in Drayton. May 1 — Erin Public School. April 30 to May 1 — Paisley Road Public School. May 2 — Guelph Outdoor School. May 2 — Erin Public School. May 5 — Erin Public School. Other exposure locations Region of Waterloo Public Health says measles starts out feeling like a cold, with symptoms such as a runny nose, cough, sore throat, fever, and red, watery eyes that are sensitive to light. After that, small white spots sometimes appear in the mouth and back of the throat and three to seven days later, a red blotchy rash appears on the face and spreads to the rest of the body. The rash lasts up to seven days. If people are exposed, they should monitor for symptoms for three weeks. The following are a list of exposure locations (not including schools mentioned above) listed by Region of Waterloo Public Health: April 24 to April 25 — Kitchener Memorial Auditorium (Bachman-Turner Overdrive: Back In Overdrive 2025 concert). April 26 to April 27 — Waterloo Region Health Network at Midtown (formerly Grand River Hospital) emergency department. May 1 — Chick-fil-A in Cambridge. May 2 — Elite Auto Care, Cambridge. May 2 — V Nails and Beauty, Cambridge. May 3 to May 4 — Shoppers Drug Mart, 700 Strasburg Rd., Kitchener. May 3 to May 4 — Waterloo Region Health Network at Queen's Blvd. (formerly St. Mary's General Hospital) emergency department. May 4 — The Indian Supermarket, 2-509 Wilson Ave., Kitchener. May 4 — Walmart at Fairview Park Mall, Kitchener. May 4 to May 5 — Waterloo Region Health Network at Queen's Blvd. (formerly St. Mary's General Hospital) emergency department. May 6 — St. Jacobs Midwives, 2-9 Parkside Drive, St. Jacobs. May 6 — Eastbridge Medical, 4-370 Eastbridge Blvd., Waterloo. May 7 — KWIC Walk-in Clinic, 5 Manitou Dr., Kitchener. May 7 — KWIC Physiotherapy, 5 Manitou Dr., Kitchener. May 7 — OM India Food Centre, 5 Manitou Dr., Kitchener. May 8 — Cambridge Gateway Medical Centre (clinic and pharmacy), 102-460 Hespeler Rd., Cambridge. May 8 — Hespeler Medical Centre, B12-350 Conestoga Blvd., Cambridge. May 8 — McDonald's, 416 Hespeler Rd., Cambridge. May 8 and May 9 — Cambridge Memorial Hospital, emergency department. May 9 to May 10 — Food Basics, Elmira. The following are a list of community exposures in the area covered by Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph Public Health: April 21 to April 23 — Mar-Span Home Hardware, Drayton. April 28 — a Girl Guides meeting at Knox United Church, Caledon. April 29 — Studio 3 Dance Orangeville Dance Studio, Orangeville. April 29 — Centre 2000, 14 Boland Dr, Erin. April 30 — Henning Salon, 193 Broadway, Orangeville. April 30 — Guelph Family Martial Arts, 340 Woodlawn Rd. W. Guelph. May 1 — Guelph Medical Place Pharmacy, 83 Dawson Rd., Guelph. May 1 — Orange Care Pharmacy, 170 Lakeview Ct., Orangeville. May 1 — Orangeville Medical Imaging, 314 Broadway, Orangeville. May 1 — Boston Pizza, 35 Woodlawn Rd. W., Guelph. May 1 — Guelph Youth Music Centre, 75 Cardigan St., Guelph. May 1 — Suzuki String School, 75 Cardigan St., Guelph. May 1 — Dance Spirit Studios, 75 Cardigan St., Guelph. May 1 — The Acting Centre, 75 Cardigan St., Guelph. May 4 — Fantasy Forged Cards & Collectibles, 113 Broadway, Orangeville. May 4 — The Blackwolf Smokehouse, 139 Broadway, Orangeville.
Global News
15-05-2025
- Health
- Global News
Ontario high school closes after measles exposure reported on campus
A high school in Kitchener, Ont., was closed on Thursday after there was a confirmed case of measles connected to the school by Waterloo Public Health (WPH). In a release, the Waterloo Region District School Board said that there were exposures on campus at Eastwood Collegiate Institute on May 7 and 8. It said the school was closed to allow for Public Health to complete the required steps in vaccination verification, but did not offer when the school would reopen. 'In an effort to ensure the safety and well-being of students and staff and working collaboration with Region of Waterloo Public Health, Eastwood Collegiate Institute (ECI) is closed to in-person learning on May 15, 2025,' WRDSB director of education Scott Miller said in a statement issued to Global News. David Aoki, director of infectious diseases, told Global News how vaccination verification works beginning with positive results being reported to Public Health through health care providers and laboratories. Story continues below advertisement 'We then follow up with the person to collect information and determine if others may have been exposed,' he explained. Get weekly health news Receive the latest medical news and health information delivered to you every Sunday. Sign up for weekly health newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy 'Once we have identified others, or other settings, we follow up with those persons or locations to identify others who may be at risk and notify them. We follow the same process for school exposures.' He went on to say that WPH is currently confirming the vaccinations status of people who may have been exposed to the virus. 'We are verifying the vaccination status of those contacts who were exposed to the case to determine who may need to be excluded or who can return, for both staff and students,' Aoki offered. 'At this time, we only have one confirmed case associated with this exposure.' Public Health Ontario provided its weekly update on the growing number of measles cases in Ontario on Thursday, saying that there were 181 more people who are now infected. This brings the total case count in Ontario to 1,622 since an outbreak began in October, with 119 of those people having been hospitalized, including nine in intensive care. The outbreak began at a large gathering with guests from Mennonite communities in New Brunswick last fall, with a large portion of the cases in Ontario occurring in the southwestern portion of the province. Story continues below advertisement Ontario's chief medical officer of health, Dr. Kieran Moore, told Global News last week that he remains confident things are under control. 'I still think it's stabilizing,' he said. 'We're roughly seeing, in terms of active cases in Ontario, 100 to 150 new cases every week. It is the most infectious agent known to humans and normally spreads from one unvaccinated person to roughly 16 — so we're not seeing that explosive, exponential growth.' The province's outbreak is particularly affecting some Mennonite, Amish and other Anabaptist communities, which have lower vaccination rates. Moore said that, while the numbers in those communities were high, he's not seen evidence of wider community spread. — with files from Global News' Isaac Callan & Colin D'Mello and The Canadian Press
Yahoo
28-04-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Waterloo region reminds secondary students to update vaccination records as suspension deadline nears
The Region of Waterloo is reminding secondary school students with suspension orders to update their vaccination records by May 7, or be suspended from attending classes. "Suspension orders and information on how to take corrective measures were mailed to affected secondary school students in mid-March," said Lynsey Slupeiks, manager of corporate communications for Waterloo region, in a release sent out Monday. Vaccination requirements are part of the Immunization of School Pupils Act, which "requires all elementary and secondary school students to have proof of these vaccinations or a valid exemption on file with Public Health," the release said. Since the measles outbreak in October 2024, Ontario has seen more than 1,000 cases, most of which affect young people. (Dr. Erskine Palmer/CDC) Measles and vaccination "Routine vaccinations provide protection against measles, mumps, rubella, diphtheria, tetanus, polio, meningitis, pertussis (whooping cough), and varicella (chickenpox)," Slupeiks said. Measles, in particular, has been a public health concern in Ontario since late last year. On April 24, Public Health Ontario reported that "a total of 1,020 people have had measles since the province's outbreak began last October." The report does not indicate how many of the cases are "active or communicable." Sarah Wilson, a medical epidemiologist at Public Health Ontario, said that the province is seeing 100 cases per week, which she describes as "100 cases too many." While it can affect adults, measles more commonly affects children, especially those who are not immunized. David Aoki, Chief Nursing Officer of Waterloo region, says it is very important to stay up to date with vaccinations. (Shutterstock) Public Health Ontario's report said many of the new cases are in southwestern Ontario, with three quarters of the cases affecting infants, children, and teens. David Aoki, the director of infectious diseases and Chief Nursing Officer for Waterloo region, says vaccines keep schools and children safe amidst the on-going measles outbreak. "It's very important to stay up to date and make sure that you're not bringing potentially an infection in the school, or not getting an infection while you're in the school," he said. Suspension orders: Elementary and Secondary Slupeiks said Public Health sent out 7,077 notices to secondary students with outdated vaccination records back in January. A total of 5,032 suspension orders were issued in mid-March. Approximately 2,380 secondary students were still not up to date as of April 24. As for elementary students, Waterloo region "issued nearly 9,000 suspension orders to elementary school children who don't have up-to-date vaccination records" back in February. On April 2, 1,624 elementary students were suspended. Aoki says as of April 24, only 70 elementary students were still suspended. Valid exemptions from vaccination requirement Aoki said that while vaccines are "very effective against the diseases that they vaccinate for," there are specific instances where receiving vaccination may not be appropriate. One of these situations is a medical exemption. "If your doctor feels there's a medical reason why getting a vaccine is not possible at this time, whether it be because of medication you're taking, a medical condition, a past reaction, then your doctor can provide a medical exemption and send it to Public Health," Aoki said. "Then there's what we call a statement of conscience or philosophical event," he added. This exemption is available to parents who feel that their values or beliefs are against vaccinations. Aoki said parents may have their children exempted from vaccinations after completing a "short [virtual] education session." Regardless of the type of exemption, students will have to report said exemption before May 8. What to do next Slupeiks reminds secondary students with suspension orders who already have updated vaccine records to report vaccines they have received to the region's vaccine website. Public health vaccinations are available to secondary students without the need for OHIP. All appointments with public health have to be done online. (Eric Risberg/The Canadian Press) If vaccines are needed, students may either book an appointment with their health-care provider, or at a public health clinic. Those who choose to get their vaccines via their health-care providers are required to report their vaccination to public health once vaccinated. Students who choose to make appointments with public health will have to book their vaccination appointments online. Vaccination appointments are available at three locations: 150 Main Street in Cambridge. 20 Weber Street in Kitchener. 99 Regina Street South in Waterloo. For students who booked vaccination appointments after the May 7 deadline, they are required to notify public health of said appointments to receive a temporary exemption on their record to prevent suspension. Students who have already reported vaccine records but have not yet received confirmation, as well as those who received confirmation from public health that they will not be suspended do not have to do anything else. The deadline to submit "up-to-date vaccination records, notification of an upcoming vaccination appointment, or a valid exemption" to public health is on May 7 at 4:30 pm. Suspensions take effect on May 8. For any questions, students and parents may visit the Region of Waterloo Public Health website.
