UM Todayvaccinations – UM Today

CBC Manitoba: Health officials encouraging Manitoba parents to vaccinate children as province hits 20 confirmed cases

Fiona Odlum — Thu, 08 May 2025 16:42:39 +0000

Most at risk are those who have not received the MMR vaccine — one of the “safest” and “most effective” vaccines we have, Hotez said — or are too young to be eligible.

Ruth Grimes, a pediatrician and assistant professor at the University of Manitoba, says she is “definitely fielding more questions” about the vaccine, especially from parents concerned about keeping their kids’ immunizations up to date.

A few years ago, she said she treated a child who had contracted measles and later developed pneumonia as a result.

To read the entire story, please follow the link to CBC Manitoba.

CBC Manitoba: Province warns of 5 confirmed measles cases in southern Manitoba, connected to Ontario outbreak

Fiona Odlum — Thu, 06 Feb 2025 17:22:55 +0000

The province sent out a notification on Tuesday warning the public of five confirmed cases of measles in southern Manitoba that are connected to an outbreak in Ontario.

The cases involve five people living in the same household who recently travelled to Ontario, and have since been told to isolate themselves at home, a provincial news release said.

As of Wednesday, there have been a total of 54 confirmed cases of measles and 27 possible cases reported in Ontario between 2024 and 2025.

Dr. Jared Bullard joined Faith Fundal for a conversation about the lab-confirmed cases of measles found in Manitoba.

To listen to the entire conversation, please follow the link to CBC Manitoba.

Dr. Bullard was also interviewed and quoted in this article with the Winnipeg Free Press.

CTV News: Canada to donate up to 200,000 vaccine doses to combat mpox outbreaks in Africa

Fiona Odlum — Fri, 13 Sep 2024 17:27:53 +0000

On Thursday, the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention said mpox is still on the rise and that testing rates are “insufficient” across the continent.

Dr. Jason Kindrachuk, associate professor of medical microbiology and infectious diseases in UM’s Max Rady College of Medicine and Canada Research Chair in molecular pathogenesis of emerging viruses, said donating vaccines, in addition to supporting surveillance and diagnostic tests, is “massively important.”

But Kindrachuk, who has worked on the ground in Congo during the epidemic, also said that the international response to the mpox outbreak is “better late than never (but) better never late.”

To read the full story, please visit CTV News.

CityNews: COVID vaccination rates dismal across Canada 4 years after pandemic was declared

Fiona Odlum — Tue, 12 Mar 2024 16:41:22 +0000

Even though the stringent health restrictions seen during the height of the pandemic are no more, they are having a lasting effect from our health to our wallet.

“Increased rates of depression, anxiety, substance use problems and all the mental health consequences associated with loneliness and disconnection, both during the pandemic but also have lingered for some afterwards,” explained Corey Mackenzie, a professor of psychology at the University of Manitoba.

“The COVID pandemic has kind of run its course to a degree, but this other pandemic of loneliness and social isolation is still very much a serious issue for a lot of people.”