How Toronto Public Health is helping you through flu season

In the presentation, Dr. Finkelstein and Dr. Dubey spoke about measures being rolled out ahead of the winter flu season. Some key recommendations included:

• Providing public information on how people can protect themselves against infection.
• Tracking virus activity to alert the public when the risk of infection is elevated. 
• Supporting places where vulnerable people live, such as shelters and long-term care homes, to respond to outbreaks and ensure residents are vaccinated.
• Providing influenza and COVID-19 vaccines for young children 6 months to 4 years of age.
• Coordinating vaccine orders from hospitals and health care providers.

Dr. Finkelstein and Dr. Dubey affirmed that TPH  continues to promote vaccines for Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV), COVID-19 and influenza, which are available at over 500 pharmacies and via mobile health teams that will focus on shelters and the under-housed. 

What do members of the community have to say? 

Daniel Freiheit, Lion Advocacy, cautioned against the previous role of public health where “the use of force” was used to enforce COVID-19 immunizations. 

Alison Kemper, a grandma who said her grandson nearly died of toxic shock syndrome from pneumonia last spring, expressed concerns about “schools in crisis.” Kemper said schools are losing teachers to turnovers and not using “honest and science-based guidance on COVID-19 prevention.” She stated that there seems to be no focus on ventilation in classrooms and an onus on personal protective measures versus a collective approach. 

Samuel Kaufman, a community member who advocates for better COVID-19 testing in schools, warned that COVID-19 remains dangerous year-round. He also expressed concerns about the effects of long COVID on health, such as increased risks of strokes or cardiac events. 

Cathy Crowe, a well-known street nurse and social justice advocate, also talked about the need to study the long term effects of COVID-19.

• One question she raised was: does contracting COVID-19 increase the risk of diabetes in 10-19 year olds? 
• Crowe also emphasised the need for municipal programs to bridge the knowledge gap on the impacts of COVID-19 on health. 
• She called for TPH to increase access to vaccination beyond programs at Shoppers Drug Mart given that many clients remain at high risk. She noted that Ottawa, Windsor and Sudbury’s public health units are offering online COVID-19 vaccination bookings for high risk individuals but TPH is not. 
• Crowe also said that TPH needs to improve the public’s confidence in them through clear, consistent communication. She recommended that TPH request regular briefings on COVID-19 and offer more vaccination clinics for vulnerable people. 

Heather Pun, a community member, proposed that TPH work with the Toronto District School Board to create public health messaging on how to improve air quality in schools to prevent transmission of respiratory illnesses including COVID-19. She was concerned that school administrations are continuing to ignore these concerns leaving children vulnerable. 

What were the outcomes of these discussions?

The City will seek to implement the initiatives outlined by TPH in the “Preparations for the 2024-2025 Respiratory Virus Season” presentation. 

What does our Documenter have to say? 

Our communities in Kensington Market, Alexandra Park, and Chinatown include new immigrants and vulnerable populations, such as people living in shelters like St Stephen’s House or in tents near the Kensington Firehall, who might have specific access needs when it comes to public health interventions like vaccinations.

Mobile van clinics like those run by Parkdale West Community Health Centre is a potential model for engaging vulnerable populations in our neighbourhoods. They are able to meet people where they are by running a pop-up health clinic for marginalised populations.