Changes to Public Health programs and services following 2025 budget approval

Advisory Alert

November 29, 2024

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To: Local Health System Partners

FOR IMMEDIATE ATTENTION

Following approval of its 2025 budget in an environment of constrained funding, Public Health Sudbury & Districts is aligning its programs and services with its core mandate under the Ontario Public Health Standards, and focusing resources on areas that offer the greatest potential for healthy community outcomes.

As part of this work, Public Health is responsibly reducing or discontinuing certain programs and services that fall outside its mandate and are the responsibility of other agencies, or where the impact on community health is small. The following are changes that will impact health care providers:

Immunization services

Effective January 1, 2025, the following changes will occur:

• Only publicly funded vaccines that are part of the Publicly Funded Immunization Schedules for Ontario will be provided through Public Health immunization services.
• Individuals who are seeking vaccines and have a primary care provider will be directed to contact that provider. Individuals without a primary care provider, and who have OHIP, will be directed to go to a walk-in clinic or community health centre. Individuals facing barriers to accessing vaccines within the community (such as those without OHIP) will continue to be served by Public Health.
• Individuals seeking vaccines for employment, education, or travel will be directed to the most appropriate service (for example school health services, or a travel medicine program) to obtain the vaccine. Travel services are available in the Sudbury area through NEOMO travel services. Services are also available at some walk-in clinics and pharmacies.

Public Health will prioritize the immunization and record assessment of publicly funded vaccines to infants, children, and students as required to attend school and licensed child care facilities in accordance with the Immunization of School Pupils Act and the Child Care and Early Years Act (ISPA). Public Health will continue with the school-based immunization program for Grade 7 students (Hep B, HPV, and Men-C-ACYW vaccines).

• Those not eligible for publicly funded high-risk vaccines may receive a prescription from a health care provider. The client would have to fill the prescription at a pharmacy and have the health care provider or pharmacist administer the vaccine.
• As a reminder, Public Health is no longer able to provide mass immunization clinics as the provincial government has discontinued funding Public Health for COVID-19 vaccination efforts. While Public Health will administer some vaccines, the majority of the doses are expected to be administered by pharmacies, primary care providers, hospitals, and long-term care homes.
• Health care providers may see an increased number of clients looking for immunization services. In preparation, health care providers are being asked to
  • Review, update, and maintain their publicly funded vaccine inventory.
  • Proactively review immunization records of clients presenting to them for care.
  • Actively offer patients the vaccines they are eligible for based on their age and risk factors.
• To order a vaccine, please complete the Vaccine Order Form or the Respiratory Vaccine Order Form (PDF) and email it to vaccineorder@phsd.ca or fax it to 705.677.9616. To report an adverse event following immunization, complete the AEFI reporting form (PDF) and fax it to 705.677.9616.
• For immunization inquiries, call the Vaccine Preventable Diseases program at 705.522.9200, ext. 458 (toll-free 1.866.522.9200).

Changes to vision screenings

Effective January 1, 2025:

• Public Health Sudbury & Districts will no longer be offering the vision screening program to senior kindergarten (SK) students. Public Health will encourage families to utilize OHIP-funded eye exams.
• For vision screening inquiries, please contact the vision health program at 705.522.9200, ext. 220.

Growing Family Health Clinic

Effective March 1, 2025:

• Public Health will be sunsetting the Growing Family Health Clinic. Effective immediately, we are no longer accepting new clients to this clinic. We will be scheduling appointments for current clients until February 28, 2025.
• Current clients of the Growing Family Health Clinic will be notified of this change, provided with options for accessing primary care services, and encouraged to register with Health Care Connect Ontario.

We appreciate your understanding as we go through this transition. Your collaboration is deeply valued, and we hope we can minimize any impacts that you experience.

Sincerely,

Original Signed By

Mustafa Hirji, MD, MPH, FRCPC
Acting Medical Officer of Health and Chief Executive Officer

NOTE: All Advisory Alerts are found on our website.

This item was last modified on November 29, 2024