How well did this year's flu shot work?
Interim results: Decently, not perfect.
"the risk of medically-attended influenza A(H3N2) illness was reduced by 40% among vaccinated relative to unvaccinated individuals."
tinyurl.com/emw36bfa by Separovic et al., in @eurosurveillance.org
There is a Hepatitis A outbreak in Manitoba. It spreads via the fecal-oral route (food, close contact, including sex).
In adults it can be severe: unlikely to kill you, but you'll feel miserable.
Vaccination is extremely effective.
Dr. Drobot explains: tinyurl.com/4wwnty7d
Step 1: Insert bacteria ("Wolbachia") into mosquitoes.
Step 2: Release mosquitoes.
Step 3: Watch Dengue rates plummet.
Phenomenal results from Singapore.
Link: tinyurl.com/59c9t67u, by Lim et al.
Flu season (yellow) is winding down in Canada after a really difficult December/early January. RSV (red) is now rising later in the season, while COVID (blue) remains relatively flat, possibly picking up in the spring.
02.02.2026 13:16 — 👍 15 🔁 6 💬 1 📌 0
Influenza put considerable pressure on Canada's healthcare system through December but is declining sharply in the New Year.
19.01.2026 20:08 — 👍 25 🔁 3 💬 2 📌 0
Canada’s influenza season has finally peaked and is starting to ease off. RSV and COVID are now slowly ticking upward.
10.01.2026 11:58 — 👍 44 🔁 20 💬 1 📌 2
It’s been a tough flu season in Ontario. The good news is that it likely peaked and is now starting to ease, though we can expect several more weeks of widespread flu activity.
06.01.2026 20:49 — 👍 33 🔁 2 💬 3 📌 1
Happy new year!
01.01.2026 00:31 — 👍 64 🔁 1 💬 1 📌 1
Regardless of where you land on COVID’s origins, accidental laboratory leaks are a known risk - they can and do happen. Preventing them requires a serious, ongoing global investment in biosafety and biosecurity.
A good read, by Manuel Ansede: tinyurl.com/a27pbr3p
Merry Christmas and happy holidays.
Thank you to everyone working today, especially those keeping our healthcare system up and running.
Chikungunya is a mosquito-borne illness found in many tropical regions that can cause significant discomfort.
A vaccine is available in Canada, but use should limited to specific situations because risks generally outweigh benefits for most people.
Link: tinyurl.com/yr5bufdv
Antibiotic-resistant typhoid infections are a growing global health problem, made worse now by emerging carbapenem resistance.
tinyurl.com/4uy7f6y3 by Thirumoorthy et al.
Canada is in the midst of a rough flu season.
It's not too late to get a flu shot.
There is a lot of influenza circulating in Canada right now.
The flu can be especially rough on older adults & young kids...see below for current flu hospitalization rates.
It’s not too late to get your flu shot if you haven’t already.
#FDA has approved a new 1st-in-class oral antibiotic for the treatment of #gonorrhea, which has been making its way through the armamentarium of available antibiotics. Nuzolvence was brought to market through a private-public partnership involving @gardp.bsky.social. www.statnews.com/2025/12/12/f...
12.12.2025 19:23 — 👍 55 🔁 17 💬 0 📌 1
Flu season is here, and it might be a tougher one than usual.
It is not too late to get your flu shot.
Two cases of Middle Eastern Respiratory Syndrome (MERS), a dangerous viral infection, detected in France in travellers from the Arabian Peninsula.
Another reminder that our world is deeply interconnected & vigilance for imported infections is essential.
tinyurl.com/4mdhwfdz
On World AIDS Day, remember that HIV risk often changes over time & that our prevention tools keep expanding.
PrEP, PEP & PEP-in-Pocket ("PIP") offer strong, flexible protection.
A "buffet" approach lets people choose what best fits their lives.
tinyurl.com/2zkf3hak
World AIDS Day is on Dec. 1.
Since 2004, global deaths have been in decline due to greater access to diagnostics, treatment & prevention.
This hard-won progress is now at risk due to major cuts to global public health.
We can't afford to go backward.
More data outlining how COVID vaccines reduce the risk of hospitalizations & death, especially among those aged 65 and older.
This aligns nicely with recommendations from Canada's National Advisory Committee on Immunization. 🇨🇦
Link: tinyurl.com/yuwmmtt4 by Hansen et al.
Mutations in #H3N2 #flu viruses have some experts worried we're facing a second bad #influenza season. The new variant, subclade K, may be able to escape antibodies generated by previous infections or this year's flu shot. But some experts are hedging their bets. www.statnews.com/2025/11/20/f...
20.11.2025 13:44 — 👍 68 🔁 34 💬 2 📌 3Update on the wild #polio discovery in Germany: The virus was found in wastewater in Hamburg. @rki.de, the German public health agency, says the virus sequence is very similar to some isolated in Afghanistan, so the likely source was an infected human. (page 10 here: www.rki.de/DE/Aktuelles...)
13.11.2025 13:04 — 👍 219 🔁 79 💬 6 📌 8
Someone in Germany is shedding poliovirus - a crippling disease which should be eradicated.
This is another stark reminder of the risks we face when global vaccination coverage slips.
Link: tinyurl.com/y8t73dyc
Exciting to see a new compound showing promise against malaria.
As drug resistance grows, mosquito ranges expand & public health resources remain limited, the need for new treatments has never been greater.
tinyurl.com/42wb2efe by @kakape.bsky.social
.
Canada has lost its measles elimination status...a sad milestone.
Now is the time to double down on lowering barriers to routine childhood immunizations and ensuring Canadians have access to credible, science-based information.
Link: tinyurl.com/c8nfxvk3
Influenza cases are climbing in Canada.
Flu shots are widely available, and can help lower the chance of infection and hospitalization.
Below are this year’s flu trends (arrow) vs. the past three years.
Antimicrobial resistance kills over a million people yearly.
I joined colleagues before the House of Commons Committee on Science & Research to discuss how Canada can help fight this threat.
Local action matters but global coordination is essential. 🇨🇦
➡️ tinyurl.com/3sfdvzt2
@paulsaxmd.bsky.social knocks it out of the park with his analysis on 2 new COVID vaccine studies.
If you want data, nuance & common sense, have a read.
Key takeaway: COVID vaccine makes sense for those at greatest risk for severe infection (eg. elderly).
Link: tinyurl.com/yc63e9c2
Attending the Global Conference on Biological Threat Reduction in Geneva with colleagues from around the world to strengthen strategies against infectious disease outbreaks, whether natural, accidental, or deliberate. Great to see Canada taking a leadership role in this sphere.🇨🇦
28.10.2025 09:58 — 👍 34 🔁 3 💬 1 📌 0
2/ Links:
Ontario Covid/Flu Vaccine info: ontario.ca/vaccine-loca...
Australia flu season info:
tinyurl.com/yv7yxzup
