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Vancouver Infectious Diseases Centre

@vidc_ca

Improving lives through HIV & Hepatitis C care Prevention • Treatment • Education • Research ⤵ Learn more! https://nitter.cf/t.co/fn2d1G9a3n

 Vancouver, British Columbia
vidc.ca
Joined January 2021
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Long COVID can last months or years. An estimated 300,000+ British Columbians live with it, including 78,000 youth. Virtual care helps those too sick to leave home, but new MSP caps cut group visit sizes by 40% at a key B.C. clinic. #LongCOVID
Image from Vancouver Infectious Diseases Centre (@vidc_ca)
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Source: Vancouver Sun (Oct 30, 2026) epaper.vancouversun.com/arti…
Long COVID patients want vir­tual care funds restored | Vancouver Sun

Long COVID patients want vir­tual care funds restored | Vancouver Sun

COVID-19 hit the Gaudet fam­ily of Maple Ridge hard. Mom Car­oline Gaudet suffered debil­it­at­ing migraines, heart pal­pit­a­tions and mobil­ity issues. Her daugh­ter, Gemma, who was nine when the...

epaper.vancouversun.com
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Not sure if you need the ER? In B.C., you can call 8-1-1 any time to speak with a nurse for free. Half of Canadians say long waits have kept them from seeking care, but ignoring symptoms can make health problems worse. #HealthLinkBC #BC
Black-and-white photo of patients sitting on chairs along both sides of a long hospital waiting room hallway.

ALT Black-and-white photo of patients sitting on chairs along both sides of a long hospital waiting room hallway.

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Source: Vancouver Sun (Oct 29, 2026) epaper.vancouversun.com/arti… Photo: Navy Medicine on Unsplash
Some Cana­dians are opt­ing to avoid the ER | Vancouver Sun

Some Cana­dians are opt­ing to avoid the ER | Vancouver Sun

Half of Cana­dians have avoided hos­pit­als because of long waits and more than 25 per cent said they have turned to the private sys­tem for care, accord­ing to a new poll. Most Cana­dians say health...

epaper.vancouversun.com
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Wildlife rescues in the Fraser Valley are getting nearly 60 calls a day about sick birds as fall migration begins. If you find one, please don’t handle it. Report it to the BC Wild Bird Mortality Line: 1-866-431-2473 #AvianFlu #H5N1
Image from Vancouver Infectious Diseases Centre (@vidc_ca)
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Source: Vancouver Sun, "Avian flu keeping wildlife centre busy" (Oct 29, 2026) epaper.vancouversun.com/arti…
Avian flu keep­ing wild­life centre busy | Vancouver Sun

Avian flu keep­ing wild­life centre busy | Vancouver Sun

The goose seemed to fall from the sky. Post­me­dia News editor Alee­sha Har­ris was return­ing to her home in Langley on Tues­day when she heard a ruckus and saw an eagle swoop low above the house....

epaper.vancouversun.com
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In case you missed it: B.C. is seeing the highest flu numbers in Canada, and the season started earlier than usual. Our Medical Director Dr. Brian Conway spoke with @GlobalBC about rising cases and hospitalizations. Get your flu shot. 💉 globalnews.ca/news/12110325/…
B.C. is seeing the highest flu numbers in the country: Health Canada | Globalnews.ca

B.C. is seeing the highest flu numbers in the country: Health Canada | Globalnews.ca

Dr. Brian Conway, the medical director of the Vancouver Infectious Disease Centre, said these numbers show that flu season has started a little earlier than usual.

globalnews.ca
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🎙️ Flu season has arrived early in B.C. VIDC’s Dr. Brian Conway spoke with @CTVVancouver about what to expect this season. 📺 Watch: ctvnews.ca/vancouver/video/2… #FluSeason #BCHealth
B.C. flu season arrives early

B.C. flu season arrives early

Cold and flu season appears to be arriving a little earlier than usual in B.C.—and health experts are encouraging people to start thinking about vaccines now.

ctvnews.ca
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Measles is back in a big way: New York just declared a statewide health emergency, and the US has its highest case count in 30+ years. Two doses of MMR are ~97% effective. Not sure you're covered? Check your record on Health Gateway or ask your pharmacist. 💉 #Measles #VaccinesWork
Image from Vancouver Infectious Diseases Centre (@vidc_ca)
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At #ISAM2026 in Rotterdam, Dr. Brian Conway presented new VIDC data: of patients who stayed in our OAT program past week one, 74% were still in care at one month, above the 61.2% published benchmark. A daily nutritious meal may be part of why. 🔗 vidc.ca
Image from Vancouver Infectious Diseases Centre (@vidc_ca)
Image from Vancouver Infectious Diseases Centre (@vidc_ca)
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A proposed public safety measure would have police interview people using drugs in public and confiscate the substances, with a ticket set at $0 (no fine collected) No built-in referral to treatment or health supports. Worth understanding what this approach does and doesn't include.
Image from Vancouver Infectious Diseases Centre (@vidc_ca)
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Source: epaper.vancouversun.com/arti…
ABC wants pub­lic drug users tick­eted, but not fined, Sim says | Vancouver Sun

ABC wants pub­lic drug users tick­eted, but not fined, Sim says | Vancouver Sun

ABC Van­couver's plan for crack­ing down on pub­lic drug use includes telling police to write tick­ets and con­fis­cate sub­stances, but not arrest­ing the drug users or expect­ing them to pay any...

epaper.vancouversun.com
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This plan would have two police staff spend around 30 minutes interviewing someone who often doesn't carry ID, then seize their drugs, only for the same interaction to happen again without a structured pathway to help. Worth asking whether this is the most effective use of that time and resourcing
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Healthcare professionals: Join us tomorrow, Tuesday Sept 22, for "Shielding the Vulnerable: Prevention is Protection" focusing on RSV vaccination. 📍 West Vancouver Yacht Club ⏰ 6:30 PM Reg / 7:00 PM Presentation RSVP to [email protected]. Extended to Healthcare Professionals only. #Healthcare #RSV #PublicHealth
Image from Vancouver Infectious Diseases Centre (@vidc_ca)
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Windsor police are now charging people for open public drug use. It's an understandable response to visible crisis, but addiction is a health condition, not just a policing issue. What changes outcomes is access to care, harm reduction, and basic supports that help people stabilize. That's the work we do. 💛 vidc.ca/ donorbox.org/vidc
Image from Vancouver Infectious Diseases Centre (@vidc_ca)
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Canadian scientists are deliberately infecting healthy volunteers with flu, then isolating them for a week, all to speed up pandemic-ready vaccines. It's raising real ethical questions. Where do you stand? 👇 epaper.vancouversun.com/arti… #PublicHealth #VaccineResearch
Image from Vancouver Infectious Diseases Centre (@vidc_ca)
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Updated COVID-19 and flu vaccines continue to provide important protection across age groups. 💉 Key findings: protection against severe outcomes, reduced flu hospitalization risk, and ongoing safety monitoring. Details below. Talk to a healthcare provider about what's right for you. #PublicHealth #VancouverHealth
Vancouver Infectious Diseases Centre. Evidence update, respiratory health. Title: Updated COVID-19 and Flu Vaccines. Subtitle: what recent evidence tells us about protection, safety and what comes next. key takeaways: protection, flu, newborns, safety.

ALT Vancouver Infectious Diseases Centre. Evidence update, respiratory health. Title: Updated COVID-19 and Flu Vaccines. Subtitle: what recent evidence tells us about protection, safety and what comes next. key takeaways: protection, flu, newborns, safety.

Updated vaccines continue to reduce severe outcomes. 53% effectiveness against hospitalization in adults 65+. 76% effectiveness against emergency department visits in young children. Text: protection can vary by age, season and the outcome measured.

ALT Updated vaccines continue to reduce severe outcomes. 53% effectiveness against hospitalization in adults 65+. 76% effectiveness against emergency department visits in young children. Text: protection can vary by age, season and the outcome measured.

Flu vaccination makes a difference: 19 to 43% lower hospitalization risk. Annual flu shots reduced hospitalization risk by 19 to 43% across studies reviewed in older adults. Vaccination was also associated with fewer influenza-related deaths in children and adolescents across multiple seasons.

ALT Flu vaccination makes a difference: 19 to 43% lower hospitalization risk. Annual flu shots reduced hospitalization risk by 19 to 43% across studies reviewed in older adults. Vaccination was also associated with fewer influenza-related deaths in children and adolescents across multiple seasons.

Safety remains central, innovation continues. Extensive surveillance and global data continue to support robust safety profiles for both vaccines. Early evidence for a new mRNA flu vaccine in adults over 50 suggests higher effectiveness than standard-dose options. Text: Stay informed, ask your healthcare provider.

ALT Safety remains central, innovation continues. Extensive surveillance and global data continue to support robust safety profiles for both vaccines. Early evidence for a new mRNA flu vaccine in adults over 50 suggests higher effectiveness than standard-dose options. Text: Stay informed, ask your healthcare provider.

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Source: dgalerts.docguide.com/articl…
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🏥 New DTES Recovery Hubs Aim to Strengthen B.C.'s Opioid Response Recovery-focused facilities opening in Vancouver's Downtown Eastside aim to bridge the gap between detox and long-term recovery by providing housing, peer support, and essential services for people seeking treatment. 🔹 Two new recovery facilities are opening in the DTES. 🔹 Programs will provide transitional housing, peer navigators, counselling, and recovery support. 🔹 Leaders say the goal is to improve access to treatment and reduce barriers after detox. 🔹 The initiative reflects a broader shift toward balancing harm reduction with expanded recovery services. At VIDC, we recognize that addressing the toxic drug crisis requires a continuum of care—from prevention and harm reduction to treatment, recovery, and long-term support. Expanding access to evidence-based services at every stage can help improve health outcomes and strengthen communities. 📰 For more information, read Dan Fumano's article in the Vancouver Sun: epaper.vancouversun.com/arti… #OpioidCrisis #Recovery #HarmReduction #PublicHealth #MentalHealth #Vancouver
New DTES facil­it­ies offer help on `front lines' of opioid crisis | Vancouver Sun

New DTES facil­it­ies offer help on `front lines' of opioid crisis | Vancouver Sun

In Van­couver's Down­town East­side, the epi­centre of Canada's over­dose crisis, two new facil­it­ies aim to not only reverse over­doses, but get people off the drugs that have killed so many of...

epaper.vancouversun.com
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🚨 Correctional Officers Hospitalized After Drug Exposure in B.C. Prison Five correctional officers required medical treatment after being exposed to an airborne illicit substance during a cell search at Pacific Institution in Abbotsford. The incident highlights the ongoing risks posed by toxic drugs within correctional facilities. 🔹 5 officers exposed during a routine search 🔹 3 transported to hospital by ambulance 🔹 Multiple officers required naloxone 🔹 One officer received chest compressions en route to hospital 🔹 Incident occurred after an inmate allegedly dispersed drugs into the air For more information, read reporting by Adrian Humphreys in the Vancouver Sun: vancouversun.com/news/prison… #Fentanyl #PublicSafety #DrugCrisis #Corrections #CanadaNews #OverdoseCrisis
Prison guards hospitalized after B.C. inmate sent a cloud of drugs into the air during cell search

Prison guards hospitalized after B.C. inmate sent a cloud of drugs into the air during cell search

vancouversun.com
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