We're not going to '3rd dose' our way out of the pandemic just like we were never going to mask our way out. Vaccines (especially 1st & 2nd but also 3rd), masks, rapid tests, ventilation, sound policy, etc... ...each is a helpful tool providing additional/incremental benefit.

Flu season is here, and it might be a tougher one than usual. It is not too late to get your flu shot.

R/T @CTVNews: “It’s especially severe in older Canadians and the youngest Canadians, pregnant women and in people who are immunocompromised, but even healthy young people can get absolutely walloped by the flu.” @BogochIsaac @OntarioCollege @OntariosDoctors @afhto @GovCanHealth

Two cases of Middle Eastern Respiratory Syndrome (MERS), a dangerous viral infection, detected in France in travellers from the Arabian Peninsula. Another reminder that our world is deeply interconnected & vigilance for imported infections is essential. https://t.co/kAXDIKdzsu

New from me, on the incredible real-world success of RSV shots in protecting newborns from a dangerous infection — and why many Canadian families still don’t have access:

On World AIDS Day, remember that HIV risk often changes over time & that our prevention tools keep expanding. PrEP, PEP & PEP-in-Pocket ("PIP") offer strong, flexible protection. A "buffet" approach lets people choose what best fits their lives. https://t.co/78kSgIoGDw

World AIDS Day is on Dec. 1. Since 2004, global deaths have been in decline due to greater access to diagnostics, treatment & prevention. This hard-won progress is now at risk due to major cuts in global public health. We can't afford to go backward.

A 60-year old man in Germany became the seventh person with HIV to be announced free of the virus after receiving a stem-cell transplant https://t.co/BPdTGCsTPT

World AIDS Day is on Dec. 1. Since 2004, global deaths have been in decline due to greater access to diagnostics, treatment & prevention. This hard-won progress is now at risk due to major cuts in global public health. We can't afford to go backward.

A person in Washington State who kept backyard poultry has died from #H5N5 #flu. The person was the first known infection with this subtype of flu globally & the second recorded death in the US from an #H5 flu virus. Health authorities say there's no evidence the person spread

The #Marburg outbreak in Ethiopia — the country's first — is growing. 8 confirmed cases, 4 deaths & a total of 46 possible cases under investigation, according to the country's health ministry. I hope the country has agreed to test some of the experimental Marburg vaccines.

More data outlining how COVID vaccines reduce the risk of hospitalizations & death, especially among those aged 65 and older. This aligns nicely with recommendations from Canada's National Advisory Committee on Immunization. 🇨🇦 Link: https://t.co/SMeIsMxNA8 by Hansen et al.

Mutations in #H3N2 #flu viruses have some experts worried we're facing a second bad #influenza season. The new variant, subclade K, may be able to escape antibodies generated by previous infections or this year's flu shot. But some experts are hedging their bets.

#Ethiopia has confirmed the outbreak that has infected at least 9 people in the south of the country is of #Marburg virus disease. I commend Ethiopia’s @FMoHealth for its rapid and transparent response to the outbreak, and the work of the Ethiopia Public Health Institute and

Update on the wild #polio discovery in Germany: The virus was found in wastewater in Hamburg. @rki_de, the German public health agency, says the virus sequence is very similar to some isolated in Afghanistan, so the likely source was an infected human. (page 10 here:

.@WHO is working closely with #Ethiopia’s @FMoHealth, the Ethiopia Public Health Institute and regional health authorities as part of the rapid response to a suspected outbreak of a viral haemorrhagic fever (VHF) in the Southern Ethiopian Region. 8 people, including health

NEW: Thinking of skipping the flu shot? Or wondering if there’s any point in getting a vaccine that’s a mismatch for this year’s flu virus? Here’s what research shows — and what medical experts say about why these vaccines still matter: https://t.co/OfkPD5xn5n

Someone in Germany is shedding poliovirus - a crippling disease which should be eradicated. This is another stark reminder of the risks we face when global vaccination coverage slips. Link: https://t.co/fIRlAnWnsM

Exciting to see a new compound showing promise against malaria. As drug resistance grows, mosquito ranges expand & public health resources remain limited, the need for new treatments has never been greater. https://t.co/2Hz5qFR7MA by @kakape.

Canada has lost its measles elimination status...a sad milestone. Now is the time to double down on lowering barriers to routine childhood immunizations and ensuring Canadians have access to credible, science-based information. Link: https://t.co/JbALpkKWSW

NEW: Medical experts say Canada could be in for a tough flu season in the months ahead. My latest explains why: