Latest news with #HeatherMorrison
CBC
11-04-2025
- Health
- CBC
2 cases of measles confirmed on Prince Edward Island, in adults who travelled within Canada
Health officials in Prince Edward Island have confirmed two cases of measles, the province's first reported cases since 2013. In a news release, P.E.I.'s Chief Public Health Office said the two adults who tested positive had travelled together to an area in Canada where outbreaks continue. Neither of the people had been immunized against the virus, and both have since recovered, the CPHO said. Public health nursing is providing contacts of the two people with vaccinations as needed, and contact-tracing is underway. No public exposures have been identified at this time. Symptoms of measles include fever, cough, sore eyes and a red rash that begins on the head and spreads down to the trunk and limbs. Serious complications can occur, such as blindness, viral meningitis or pneumonia — or even death, as was the case recently for two unvaccinated children in Texas. The measles virus spreads through the air when a person who is infected breathes, coughs, sneezes or talks. It may also spread through direct contact with droplets from the nose and throat of a person who is infected, according to the CPHO's news release. The measles virus can stay in the air or on surfaces for up to two hours after a person who is infected has left the space. Someone with measles is contagious for four days before the rash is noticeable, and for up to four days after the rash occurs. Anyone who is not vaccinated and is considered a close contact of someone with measles will need to isolate for 21 days. "We are working diligently to prevent further spread of measles within our community," said Dr. Heather Morrison, the province's chief public health officer. "Vaccination is the most effective method of protection against measles. We encourage all Islanders to review their immunization records and ensure they are up to date with the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine. The MMR vaccine is available at no cost through the provincial immunization program." People born before 1970 or who have had two doses of measles vaccine are considered immune. WATCH | Canada reports record measles cases driven by Ontario outbreak: Canada reports record measles cases driven by Ontario outbreak 15 hours ago Duration 2:49 The CPHO's current recommendations for vaccination: Adults born before 1970 are considered to have acquired natural immunity and do not require the vaccine. Anyone travelling outside of Canada should receive one dose of measles vaccine. Adults born in or after 1970 who have neither had measles, nor have received two doses of vaccine, should receive two doses. Regardless of age, students entering post-secondary education, health-care workers and military personnel should receive two doses if they have no evidence of having had measles and no documentation of having received two doses of the vaccine. Anyone living in P.E.I. who is not up to date with the measles vaccines is eligible to receive it free of charge. Islanders should call the nearest public health nursing office and speak with a nurse to find out if vaccinations are up to date. Those experiencing symptoms of measles should call 811 or contact their primary care provider before visiting any health-care facility for treatment, to prevent spreading the virus to others.
CBC
08-04-2025
- Health
- CBC
Health officials on the Island seeing increased demand for measles vaccine
Social Sharing While there are no cases of measles on Prince Edward Island, and haven't been any for 12 years, the province's Chief Public Health Office is encouraging people to get the vaccinated — especially if they plan to travel. Islanders seem to be doing their part to keep a lid on the disease, with public health nursing seeing an increase in the number of people asking for the vaccine. "Two doses of this vaccine, it's 98 per cent effective. It's really good," said Dr. Heather Morrison, P.E.I.'s chief public health officer. "The recommendation is really if you're [doing] air travel or driving to places that may have measles, including Quebec and Ontario… it's really important to get vaccinated." Immunizations for measles, mumps and rubella are free and available through public health nursing. People interested in getting the vaccine can check its availability on the province's website. Islanders urged to seeks shots as P.E.I. manages to stay measles-free, for now 4 hours ago Duration 2:03 Demand for the measles vaccine is up on Prince Edward Island. There are still no cases in the province, but with the virus on the rise in other parts of North America, the chief public health office says preparation is key. CBC's Sheehan Desjardins explains. There have been no measles cases on P.E.I. since 2013, but health officials are monitoring the situation elsewhere in the country. Toronto Public Health recently warned residents in the city that they could be in danger of measles exposure. Last Tuesday, 14 cases were reported in the Region of Waterloo, Ont., just a few weeks after the area confirmed its first case. "This is a disease that we really have seen very little of in North America," Morrison said. "There have been young people who have had serious outcomes south of the border, but also hospitalizations in Ontario, for instance, particularly with young children." As of Monday, two unvaccinated children had died of complications related to measles in Texas, where at least 500 people were confirmed to have been infected in recent weeks. What to watch for Measles symptoms can include fever, runny nose, cough, red eyes, a red rash that begins on the face and spreads down the body, and small blueish-white spots on the inside of the mouth and throat. The incubation period for the virus can be up to 21 days, said Morrison, but symptoms can also appear within 12 days of exposure. Most Canadian children are vaccinated against measles when they're one year old, then again at 18 months. Public health will vaccinate infants early, between six months to a year, if their parents plan to travel with them. Many adults born before 1970 are considered to have a natural immunity to the virus, but Morrison said they should still get one dose of the vaccine before travelling this year. With so many people travelling at this time of year, Morrison said it's important to be vigilant in case measles hitches a ride back to P.E.I. with someone. "There are certain populations here that are at risk because they're not vaccinated," she said. "Trying to make sure that we work with these communities and individuals and answer questions and get the information out as best we can is going to be something that's important for us."
CBC
24-03-2025
- Health
- CBC
5 years on from COVID-19, what has P.E.I. learned when it comes to public health?
When Dr. Heather Morrison first met with fellow chief public health officers across Canada about a novel respiratory virus early in 2020, she didn't know just how wide-ranging the ramifications of what would become the COVID-19 pandemic would be for Prince Edward Island. "I don't think when we started meeting we ever anticipated the extent and length of time it would be with us," Morrison said in an interview with CBC News this month. The first case on P.E.I. was confirmed in March 2020. Within days, schools and workplaces, churches and concert halls all closed. Virtual activities took their place. Anyone wanting to come to P.E.I. had to be pre-approved, and was required to self-isolate until the virus's incubation period had passed. Case counts grew slowly, but still, Islanders stood in line for hours to get tested. In time, children returned to the classroom and a vaccine arrived. But in 2021, a new variant known as Omicron created new challenges for the Island, forcing P.E.I. into strict lockdowns such as the province had not seen before. Provincial officials had to respond quickly to protect Islanders, Morrison said. The small size and island nature of P.E.I. made it unique in terms of how the virus spread and how the province responded in turn. Decisions were made by following the science wherever possible and making the best evidence-informed decisions with the information available, Morrison said. The provincial response had some effective outcomes — like the fact that the Island had the lowest death rate per capita of all Canadian provinces, and that there were no COVID-related deaths on P.E.I. for the first two years of the pandemic. But there were also unintended impacts of some of the measures, Morrison said. "In general, we made sure our health-care system was still able to function and not be overwhelmed in the ICU by so many sick people," she said. "I think we sometimes had collective trauma, and we have collective amnesia as a result of it, as well." Looking back on the response that started five years ago, and the effects it had on Islanders, she believes there are both lessons to be learned and moments to be proud of. Lessons learned The commitment of Islanders was a huge part of the province's pandemic response, Morrison said, adding that people responded to calls for testing, looked out for each other and wanted to protect their community. "We saw time and time again how much of a community we really were in," she said. That patience and kindness showed by Islanders during the early days of COVID-19 is something Morrison said she remembers most distinctly about that period of time. "A lot of things went really well in P.E.I., but there was never a great deal of acknowledgement about that," said Dr. Michael Gardam, who was involved with the province's pandemic response. The infectious diseases specialist joined Health P.E.I. in 2020 as a senior medical adviser, later taking on the role of CEO. "The system managed to get us through," he said. "That's probably the proudest moment in my career." You've just run a marathon, and now you're told to sprint. — Dr. Michael Gardam While the health-care system managed to keep chugging along, the COVID-19 pandemic did reveal weaknesses, Gardam said. Like other parts of Canada, P.E.I. dealt with a mass exodus of health-care workers. Gardam said what some people still struggle to understand is that the problem is not a lack of money to hire doctors and nurses, but a lack of doctors and nurses. At the same time many people were at home watching Netflix and teaching themselves to bake bread, health-care workers were not just going in to work every day, but being asked to step up and do more than ever, said Gardam. As the pandemic went on, people were overworked and became "absolutely fried," he said. "It was probably worse when [COVID] started to wane because that's when you want to have a break. You've just run a marathon, and now you're told to sprint," he said. Gardam said he doesn't think health-care workers across the country have ever been acknowledged for what they went through, and said asking them to "ramp up to 11" as the pandemic waned was "incredibly offensive." Public reaction has been split Gardam has some regrets about how the pandemic response unfolded on P.E.I. "You learn as you go and you should change as you go. And that's what we didn't do," he said. He said tougher measures were likely necessary at the start of the pandemic, but P.E.I. failed to adapt and ease some rules as more information became available. "We're still dealing with a public that's pretty pissed off with the pandemic on both sides," Gardam said, adding that there are people who say not enough was done to control the spread of the virus, while others disapprove of the entire response. "As you might expect, the answer is always in the middle somewhere." For Morrison, acknowledging differences of opinion is important. "Maybe we need to do an even better job of explaining some of the science and building trust so that we make sure that people can understand some of those decisions," she said. But while disagreement was expected over such life-and-death issues, some of the public reaction on P.E.I. crossed a line, she said. What we were surprised about at times was the vitriol, and that was hard for individuals who felt threatened psychologically, physically by certain threats. "What we were surprised about at times was the vitriol, and that was hard for individuals who felt threatened psychologically, physically by certain threats." At one point, Morrison said one of her children told her they didn't feel safe in their own house. "That was very hard to hear," she said. "In some ways, it's important to at least talk about it, because you don't want it to happen again to other people in my position — or anyone in leadership who's really trying to work in the best interest of Islanders." Next time? Five years after COVID-19 was first declared a pandemic, P.E.I. has learned valuable lessons that might help the Island when — not if — the next pandemic arrives, Morrison said. "As Islanders, we will know what measures worked and what ones, in hindsight, may not have worked as well. But each virus and each pandemic will be a little different," she said. Gardam agrees another pandemic will arrive eventually. He just hopes it isn't soon. "If P.E.I. got hit with a pandemic — if Canada got hit with a pandemic — our health-care system is the worst I've ever seen it right now and we're not prepared," he said. "Now that we have an interval of peace time, we need to get our act together."
CBC
26-02-2025
- Health
- CBC
This flu season shaping up to be 'heavier' than last year, says P.E.I.'s top doctor
Social Sharing Prince Edward Island's chief public health officer says this flu season is ramping up to be more significant than last year's, and anyone who's not already vaccinated should seek out a shot. Dr. Heather Morrison said the province has seen a rise in influenza cases in recent weeks, with the peak arriving much later than in 2024. Last year, the peak happened at the beginning of January; it's about eight weeks later this year. "This is a respiratory season that is, I think, shaping up to be possibly even heavier than last year," she told CBC News. "We're right in the midst of that, the highest numbers of our season to date." The Island recorded 130 lab-confirmed influenza cases last week — the highest of this winter so far, she said, with a test positivity rate of around 37 per cent. Last year's peak week involved 115 cases and a 32 per cent positivity rate. This surge is not unique to P.E.I. The Public Health Agency of Canada's latest Flu Watch report shows influenza test positivity has reached its highest level since the COVID-19 pandemic, with rates continuing to rise across several provinces. Young children, seniors most affected In addition to influenza, Morrison said the province is also seeing high numbers of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) and ongoing COVID-19 cases, which are putting additional pressure on the health-care system. The most affected age groups are young children up to four years old and adults over 65, she said. "Of those individuals who've been hospitalized, 75 per cent of them have not had their annual influenza vaccine," Morrison said. "We had three respiratory illness outbreaks last week alone, and we continue to monitor those every week. And they tend to happen in schools, long-term care, community-care facilities." We also encouraged parents and guardians to keep children home if they're feeling unwell to help prevent the spread of illness. — Public Schools Branch statement In a statement, the Public Schools Branch said student absences due to illness have been on the rise this winter. Summerside's Athena Consolidated in particular has seen an increase in absences, and in response, staff are focusing on disinfecting high-touch surfaces and reinforcing hand-washing and hygiene practices. "We also encouraged parents and guardians to keep children home if they're feeling unwell to help prevent the spread of illness and ensure students can return when they're feeling better," the statement reads. Importance of vaccination Morrison said it's crucial for people to get vaccinated to reduce their chances of being seriously ill or needing medical treatment. Flu shots can provide protection against both influenza strains, and those at high risk are encouraged to get their COVID-19 vaccinations as well, she added. As for RSV vaccines, access is limited to high-risk infants and individuals aged 60 and above living in long-term and community-care facilities. Morrison hopes eligibility for RSV vaccines can be expanded to other demographic groups next year. Besides vaccination, she said it's also important to follow basic public health measures, such as washing hands thoroughly, staying home when sick, and avoiding close contact with others when experiencing respiratory symptoms. The current high numbers of influenza cases may represent the peak of the season, and the province may start to see a decline in the coming weeks, Morrison said.
Yahoo
06-02-2025
- General
- Yahoo
City of Tampa responds to questions about violation notices for storm damaged homes
TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) — Some people are still learning about trying to make repairs to their homes following storm damage. Others are getting letters from the city saying they are in violation of Tampa code, they have to replace or repair the damage, get a permit, and if it's not corrected by Feb. 25, the city will proceed with further legal action. Midnight Pass reopening has made Little Sarasota Bay better in long run, scientist says 'I feel like I am being victimized, again, all over again,' said Heather Morrison, who explained that she's been actively waiting on insurance to help pay for the damages. A City of Tampa spokesperson said on Feb. 3, they completed 93 inspections to determine if properties were in violation of code. They served 62 notices that day. It's unclear exactly how many violations were storm related. Mary Wynn said a tree fell on her house during Hurricane Milton. The city said the walls and roof of her home are in violation after their inspection. 'Never been inside my house, they've never seen my ceilings, so this would be a lie, that would be a lie, and that would be a lie,' Wynn said. The city spokesperson gave 8 On Your Side specifics about Wynn's case, saying the condition of the exterior wall is why the inspector determined repairs are needed. News Channel 8 On Your Side went to the city's last hurricane recovery meeting. The chief building official said he couldn't speak to the violation notices because he said they didn't come from his department. The name listed on the violations is the Neighborhood Enhancement Division. 8 On Your Side asked the chief if there is anything in Tampa Building Code that would give people an idea of how long they have to get repairs done before receiving these letters. 'There's never really a time limit. You know, we have different types of permits; we have emergency permits if you need to come in and hurry up and shore something up. What we would do is ask you to reach out to, you know, based off of who was on that letter, contact the inspector, contact who issued it. And therefore, we're working with you,' said JC Hudgison, the chief building official. 'There's not a time limit. We're willing to work with everyone. If they come in and say, 'Hey, I'm waiting on an insurance claim,' or things like that, we work with the citizens based off the conditions.' He said the name of the game is compliance, and the city would like to know something is being done to get to compliance. 'We're not going down every street trying to issue citations. It's saying, 'Hey, this is unsafe potentially, and we need things to happen.' So then, therefore, as I talked in there, is your protecting your property as well as the adjacent neighbors,' Hudgison said. News Channel 8 On Your Side also asked the city spokesperson if a resident shows proof of them working to get repairs done, can they avoid legal action, even it's not completed by Feb. 25. They answered, saying yes, as long as there are no urgent or dangerous conditions, residents can request extensions to complete the repairs. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
