Call ahead to stop the spread of measles | | Learn more about measles on our website: | | |
Measles is a highly contagious airborne disease. It spreads easily when an infected person breathes, coughs, or sneezes, and the virus can remain in the air for up to two hours. Measles can lead to serious illness and health complications. A person with measles is contagious from four days before, to four days after the rash appears.
Please stay home and isolate if you have measles. However, if you require medical care for worsening or severe measles symptoms, please call and inform the healthcare centre ahead of your arrival. Precautions will be taken to help prevent others from getting sick too.
| | Help shape the Lighthouse Community Strategy | | |
If you live, work, use services, or have knowledge of the communities of Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation, Haldimand, or Norfolk, we are looking for your feedback on the draft recommendations for the Lighthouse Community Strategy.
The 15-minute, anonymous survey aims to address substance use and mental health in our region. We want to know what you think about our recommendations to make sure they meet the needs of the community. Help us complete the survey by August 22.
| | | Rocky Mountain Spotter Fever | | Learn more about preventing tick bites through the links below: | | |
Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever (RMSF) is a serious disease caused by the bite of an infected tick. RMSF has been detected in pets who have recently visited Long Point. Without early treatment, RMSF can be life threatening for both humans and animals. Make sure to avoid tick infested areas and check yourself and your pets thoroughly after spending time outdoors.
Signs & symptoms include fever, severe headache, body rash, nausea & vomiting, muscle & abdominal pain, and red eyes.
To reduce your risk of RMSF:
- Avoid tick-infested areas when possible
- Wear long sleeves and pants outdoors
- Use insect repellent containing DEET
- Perform tick checks after outdoor activities
- Use tick prevention products on your pets
| | Ready for back to school? | | |
Good health is linked to learning. The start of school is an exciting time for children and their families. Help prepare your children for a healthy start to the school year:
- Before kindergarten, book a free eye exam with an optometrist (covered yearly for children 19 and under with an OHIP card).
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Check that your child is meeting developmental milestones. Speak with your primary care provider or a public health nurse if you have concerns.
- Free school dental screenings begin in kindergarten, done by a registered dental hygienist using a light and mirror. Info letters are sent home before a screening.
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Healthy Smiles Ontario offers free dental care for eligible children, ages 0-17. Visit our website to see if your child qualifies.
| | Find out more information about our school health program: | | Start on the right note – Ensure your child’s vaccine records are updated | | Updating your child’s immunization records online is easy. Visit the link below with your child’s Ontario Health Card to get started. | | |
To attend school in Ontario, all students must provide proof of routine childhood immunization, or a valid exemption, as per the Immunization of School Pupils Act (ISPA). These immunization records are collected to help protect students and the public in case there is a vaccine preventable disease outbreak in our community.
It is a parent’s responsibility to report and update their child’s immunization records to Grand Erie Public Health. Physicians are not required to report immunizations, and many do not. Students who fail to provide proof of immunization, or a valid exemption, may be suspended from school for up to 20 days.
| | International Overdose Awareness Day | | | | |
August 31 is International Overdose Awareness Day (IOAD), a time to honour the lives of those we’ve lost and those who have been impacted by substance use.
Local organizations are coming together in Brantford/Brant in recognition of IOAD. These activities aim to honour people lost to overdose, raise awareness, support individuals, families, and communities affected by substance use, advocate for change, and reduce stigma surrounding overdose and substance use.
Join us:
- August 26 at 5 p.m. for a Memorial Walk (hosted by the Positive Health Network) at the Norfolk County Public Library, 46 Colborne St. S., Simcoe
- August 28 from 4-7 p.m. at the Brantford Public Library, 173 Colborne St., Brantford.
Other events:
- Flag lowering – August 25, 12 p.m., 50 Colborne St. S., Simcoe, ON
- Flag raising – August 27, 10 a.m. at Harmony Square, 148 Colborne St., Brantford
- Flag raising – August 27, 12 p.m. at 7 Broadway St. West, Paris
| | Please join us @granderieph to stay connected! | | | | |
