Improving lives through HIV & Hepatitis C care Prevention • Treatment • Education • Research ⤵ Learn more! https://nitter.gq/t.co/fn2d1G9a3n
Vancouver, British Columbia
Joined January 2021
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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/…
🎙️ 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
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
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.
Source: epaper.vancouversun.com/arti…
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
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
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
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
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
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.
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.
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.
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.
🏥 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
🚨 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
🚨 Opioid Deaths in Canada Drop 26% — But the Crisis Isn't Over
———
New federal data shows a significant decline in opioid toxicity deaths, yet thousands of Canadians continue to lose their lives each year.
→ Opioid-related deaths fell 26% between October 2024 and September 2025
→ 5,724 deaths were recorded in 2025 — an average of 16 deaths per day.
→ Fentanyl and fentanyl analogues remain involved in the majority of deaths.
→ Toxic drug alerts continue to be issued in communities across Canada.
→ Death rates remain well above pre-pandemic levels.
📖 For additional information, read the full reporting and analysis by Ellie Hutchings in the Vancouver Sun:
epaper.vancouversun.com/vanc…
#OpioidCrisis #PublicHealth #Healthcare #HarmReduction #SubstanceUse #Addiction #Canada #VIDC
⚠️ Drug Alert | British Columbia
A new laboratory-made opioid, cychlorphine, has been detected in B.C.'s unregulated drug supply. According to the BCCDC, cychlorphine may be up to 10× more potent than fentanyl and its effects can last up to 48 hours.
Risks include severe sedation, respiratory depression, overdose, and increased danger when combined with benzodiazepines or other sedatives.
If using substances from the unregulated supply:
• Use drug checking services when available
• Carry naloxone
• Never use alone
• Call 911 if an opioid poisoning is suspected
Source: CBC News & BCCDC
#HarmReduction #PublicHealth #DrugAlert #BC
Living with chronic hepatitis B? You may be eligible to participate in a Phase 2 clinical research study evaluating a potential new treatment.
Contact us for more information through the link in bio!
Representing VIDC at #INHSU2025!
Our Medical Director, @Dr_Conway_VIDC , chaired the session “How Do We Achieve HCV Elimination?”, joining global experts to discuss strategies to expand testing, improve access, and prevent reinfection.
#HCVElimination #HepatitisC #PublicHealth
In a recent CityNews1130 interview, our Medical Director @Dr_Conway_VIDC, addressed false claims linking Tylenol use in pregnancy to autism.
✅ Tylenol has been safely used for decades
⚠️ Alternatives like Advil/Naproxen are not safe
🔗 Link: vancouver.citynews.ca/2025/0…
✨ Ever wondered what happens at a VIDC Pop-Up Clinic? Here’s a quick look.
💙 Everyone is welcome, and all services are completely FREE!
📍 Follow us to find out when and where our next Pop-Up Clinic will be.
#VIDC #HIVTesting #HepC #OATSupport #FreeClinic #VancouverHealth
