1/7 This week a clever young Canadian, Colton Taylor, wrote via @Mrs_TTeach to ask whether researchers, who are working hard to develop safe & effective #vaccines against #COVID19, could find a way to give them without needles.
2/7 Colton reminds us that even though kids know #VaccinesWork, many are not so keen about the needle part! Colton, like many up and coming innovators & #science heroes, had some ideas, giving us hope for more solutions to come!
3/7 In the meantime, to answer the question on the minds of kids everywhere - yes, we do have some needle-free solutions now as well as other ways to reduce the pain and make needles less scary. #VaccinesWork
4/7 So far, very few #vaccines are available without needles. There is one kind of #flu vaccine that can be squirted into the nose as mist. It’s not always available but scientists are working hard to make more of this type of #flu vaccine.
5/7 Scientists are also working to develop other safe & effective no needle options. For now, though most #vaccines are by needle, there are ways to prevent pain, like dabbing on a liquid to numb your skin so you won’t feel the sting!
6/7 It can also help if you bring a favourite toy or game to take your mind away from being scared – and It’s okay to tell the nurse or doctor that you’re scared & need a moment or you can ask the adult with you to hold your hand. #VaccinesWork
7/7 So although not all #vaccines are needle-free, it helps to know that even if there is a little sting, soon your body will be ready to fight off a new bad bug & you’ll be an immunity hero, protecting others around you too! #CommunityImmunity
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1/4 Co-circulation of #COVID19, #influenza & #RSV viruses is causing significant strain on health care systems. Very young & elderly people and those with pre-existing medical conditions, continue to be at highest risk for serious illness.
2/4 Most worrisome is an increase in influenza-related hospitalisations. Also, sentinel paediatric hospital data suggest a shift to a ↑ proportion of hospitalized cases in 10-16 year-olds, compared to seasons prior to the #COVID19 pandemic.
3/4 However, the highest cumulative hospitalization rates for influenza continue to be among young children under 5 years of age and weekly pediatric hospitalization numbers remain above typical peak season levels.
2/4 These latest data show the tragic and continued increase in average daily deaths and hospitalisations due to opioid-related overdoses in Canada in 2021, compared to earlier years.
3/4 From April to June 2022, a total of 1,652 people lost their lives, while 1,163 were hospitalized due to an opioid-related overdose. #StopOverdoses
(1/5) Today, Canada’s Chief Medical Officers of Health are reinforcing the importance of staying up to date with vaccines to maintain protection against COVID-19 and other vaccine preventable diseases canada.ca/en/public-heal…
(2/5) We are also celebrating the collaboration and efforts of jurisdictions, Indigenous partners, healthcare workers, individuals and communities. Our continued collective efforts will be integral to our emergence from this pandemic.
(3/5) With #COVID19Vaccines now available to anyone 6 months or older, staying up to date means getting a primary series and then #BoosterDoses when you are eligible, recognizing jurisdictions’ programs may differ based on epidemiology and programmatic considerations.
1/5 Today, the COVID-19 Immunity Task Force (CITF) announced seroprevalence results from 21 studies funded by the Government of Canada, estimating the level of infection during the Omicron wave up to the end of May 2022. covid19immunitytaskforce.ca/the-omicron-ts…
2/5 Antibodies to certain blood proteins known as “nucleocapsids” only develop in those who’ve been infected. So detecting their presence in blood (seroprevalence) is a way to estimate the proportion of people with past #SARSCoV2 infection.
3/5 CITF results confirm the massive scale of the #Omicron wave. Before Omicron arrived in Dec 2021, ~7% of Canadians had infection-acquired antibodies to #SARSCoV2. Then from Dec 2021 to May 2022, that proportion rose to 45%!
1/5 The Public Health Agency of Canada is aware that @SickKidsNews has reported cases of acute hepatitis of unknown origin in children to @ONTHealth. This is a relatively rare condition that does occur in Canada. In many cases, an underlying cause cannot be found.
2/5 Information on these and other cases is being further reviewed by health authorities. Those that meet the case definition will be reported to @GovCanHealth to be included in the national investigation.
3/5 We do not know if we are seeing an increase in the number of cases of acute hepatitis of unknown cause in children. More information is needed to assess the situation and any potential risks to people in Canada.
1/5 #COVID19 key concerns 🇨🇦 : as public health measures have eased and we resume more activities and connections, other serious infectious diseases, such as influenza and measles, are making a comeback. canada.ca/en/public-heal…
2/5 #COVID19 is still circulating across the country and Canada is reporting increased #influenza activity in recent weeks, late in the 2021-22 season. This includes the first outbreaks and a sharp rise in influenza detections, mostly in ages <45 years. canada.ca/en/public-heal…
3/5 .@UNICEF & @WHO report a 79% increase in worldwide measles cases in Jan-Feb 2022 compared to the same time last year, a worrying sign of overall heightened risk for spread of vaccine preventable diseases (VPD) that could trigger larger outbreaks. who.int/news/item/27-0…