Hastings Prince Edward Public Health
Online Bulletin for Health Care Providers

June 17, 2022

From:
Dr. Ethan Toumishey
Medical Officer of Health and CEO
Hastings Prince Edward Public Health

In this Issue:

1. UPDATE: Monkeypox Virus
2. Supports for Ukrainians Fleeing War
3. Infant Formula Shortage
4. New and Updated Resources

News & updates

UPDATE: MONKEYPOX VIRUS

Effective June 16, 2022, monkeypox virus has been designated a Disease of Public Health Significance (DOPHS) as “Smallpox and other Orthopoxviruses including Monkeypox” under the Health Protection and Promotion Act (HPPA). Refer to CMOH memo for additional details. Suspect and confirmed cases of monkeypox virus must be reported directly to the local Medical Officer of Health in accordance with the reporting requirements in the Act.

Report to HPEPH Infectious and Communicable Diseases program by phone 613-966-5500 x 349 and fax required pages of the Ontario Monkeypox Investigation Tool to 613-966-1813. For evening and weekend reporting, call 613-966-5000 and follow the prompts for the on-call Public Health Inspector.

Approval for monkeypox testing from Public Health Ontario is no longer required. Specific testing information can be found at: Public Health Ontario Monkeypox Virus Testing Indications.

For more information:

• Public Health Ontario Monkeypox page - includes epidemiological summary, specimen collection and handling, IPAC for acute care
• Public Health Ontario - Interim Case and Contact Management Guidance for Public Health Units
• Public Health Ontario – Infectious Disease Protocol Appendix 1 “Smallpox and other Orthopoxviruses including Monkeypox”
• Public Health Agency Canada - Monkeypox: symptoms and management
• World Health Organization - Monkeypox Fact Sheet

Supports for Ukrainians Fleeing War

The Canadian and Ontario governments have launched several supports to assist Ukrainian families fleeing war. Guidance documents for health care providers and resources for Ukrainian families and those supporting displaced families can be found on the government website.

Infant Formula Shortage – Health Canada Recommendations

Health Canada announced on May 12, 2022 that Canada is currently experiencing a shortage of infant formulas for infants with food allergies and certain medical conditions. The formulas affected by this shortage include extensively hydrolyzed formulas and amino acid-based formulas. Please note that there is no current shortage of regular infant formula in Canada.

Resources:

• Fact Sheet for Families and Caregivers - Health care providers can use the fact sheet to facilitate their discussions with concerned parents and caregivers.
• National Clinical Decision Tree - to guide treatment decisions, and support families and caregivers to make appropriate formula choices while rationing the use of specialized infant formulas.
• Typical Formula Consumption Amounts – Healthy Term Infants - provides estimated typical consumptions of extensively hydrolyzed and amino acid-based formulas by healthy term infants. This resource may assist pharmacies in determining amounts needed for these formulas.
• Ontario’s Inherited Metabolic Diseases (IMD) Program - Since March 2022, the Ontario Ministry of Health has added over 10metabolic formula products to the list of products reimbursed through the Inherited Metabolic Diseases (IMD) Program, to provide patients with alternatives during this shortage.
• HPEPH’s Health Care Provider Page for Infant Feeding

New and Updated Resources

• The CMOH has issued a memo regarding the Revocation of Directives #1, #2.1, #3, #4, and #5 on June 11, 2022 and is now available on the ministry’s website.
• The new COVID-19 Guidance Document on Personal Protective Equipment for Health Care Workers and Health Care Entities is now available in English and French and has been posted on the ministry’s website.
• The COVID-19 Screening Tool for Long-Term Care Homes and Retirement Homes has been updated and is now available on the Ministry’s website.
• The COVID-19 Guidance: Long-Term Care Homes and Retirement Homes for Public Health Units has been updated. The English version is now available on the ministry’s website. The French version will be posted shortly.
• The COVID-19 Guidance: Acute Care has been updated and is now available on the ministry’s website.
• The COVID-19 Guidance: Congregate Living for Vulnerable Populations has been updated and is now available on the ministry’s website.
• In alignment with the wind-down of provincial emergency response measures and the shift to managing COVID-19 through routine operations, the ministry’s daily COVID-19 Situation Report will no longer be distributed after today. COVID-19 data will continue to be reported on the Ministry of Health website and through the Public Health Ontario COVID-19 data tool.

Back to Summary

Contact Information: 

To give us your comments: hart.sara@hpeph.ca

To report communicable diseases:613-966-5500 x349

To report AEFI or DOPHS: Online / Fax: 613-966-1813 or CDCFAX1@hpeph.ca

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