Reminder: Measles Vaccines Protect Those Who Cannot Protect Themselves
March 18/2024With measles cases popping up across Canada, U of T researchers explain why getting vaccinated helps those who can’t. By Ishani Nath Measles cases are popping up across Canada, and with low vaccination rates and travellers returning from March Break, health officials are concerned this preventable disease may continue...
Got questions about vaccines for kids? A new phone line offers answers
January 17/2024The Vaccine Consult Service pilot project, launched by members of the Centre for Vaccine Preventable Diseases (CVPD), aims to help increase vaccine confidence by answering Ontario parents' questions about vaccines. By Ishani Nath Canada is in the thick of respiratory illness season, yet the number of individuals getting the updated...
Infants are vulnerable to chickenpox earlier than previously assumed, new study finds
November 21/2023Findings published in PLOS ONE indicate that in most cases, the protection passed from mother to infant fades after two months, leaving infants at risk of infection. Ishani Nath Infants are not protected against the varicella-zoster virus, the virus that causes chickenpox, for several months before they are eligible for...
COVID-19 vaccination during pregnancy leads to lower risk of neo-natal death, U of T researchers find
October 25/2023“[This study] provides further reassurance on the safety of maternal mRNA COVID-19 vaccination during all trimesters of pregnancy for newborns and infants," said the study. By: Gabrielle Giroday This story originally appeared on Temerty Faculty of Medicine's news site. New research shows pregnant mothers who receive mRNA vaccines to...
What you need to know about the 3 fall vaccines, according to U of T experts
October 04/2023Here is what these U of T experts want Canadians to know about the new RSV vaccine, the updated COVID-19 vaccine, and this year’s flu shot. By: Ishani Nath and Betty Zou As cold and flu season approaches, Canadians are facing respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), an increase in COVID-19 activity,...
IfP Graduate Studentship Award recipient works to improve treatment of migrant workers
September 15/2023Graduate Studentship Award recipient Stephanie Mayell's journey is a testament to the transformative power of education and determination. Dropping out of high school at sixteen years old, her path seemed far removed from the world of academia. However, fast forward thirty years, and Mayell's reality is nothing short of remarkable....
DLSPH Faculty Among Recipients of the 2023 New Initiative and Innovation Awards
August 30/2023DLSPH faculty were among the recipients of the inaugural 2023 New Initiative and Innovation Awards from the Network for Improving Health Systems (NIHS). The network was created in November 2022 from a $3 million donation from Shoppers Drug Mart to both the Dalla Lana School of Public Health (DLSPH)...
This AI will help us get ahead of the next pandemic
August 09/2023By Ishani Nath It seems appropriate that the Toronto offices for Kamran Khan’s BlueDot, which uses artificial intelligence to flag potential infectious disease outbreaks around the world, are located at the edge of Lake Ontario. Similar to a lighthouse, BlueDot signals when there’s danger ahead. "We use the internet as...
U of T Experts Help Ontario Science Centre Bring Vaccine Science to Life
July 10/2023By Ishani Nath “Fun” is not a word people typically associate with vaccines. The Ontario Science Centre wants to change that with new exhibits that invite visitors to see, touch, and — at times — walk through vaccine science. “We don't want to just tell people [about vaccine science], we...
RSV Immunizations Are Coming. This U of T Researcher Is Helping Parents Prepare
July 05/2023By Ishani Nath RSV researchers have been waiting for this moment for decades. Two new ways to protect children from respiratory syncytial virus, better known as RSV, are on the verge of becoming available in Canada. Even though the majority of children will get infected by age 2, “most parents...