West Nile virus has returned to Canada for another season, with detections in mosquitoes in multiple regions of Ontario in the past week, including in Toronto.

Niagara Region Public Health confirmed Tuesday that West Nile virus had been detected in mosquitoes in Welland, Ont., while Toronto and York Region reported their first positive cases in the insects late last week.

No human cases of the virus have been reported in Canada as of Wednesday, but that isn’t stopping health-care professionals from urging caution.

“Nobody wants to get bit by mosquitoes, whether or not they’re causing fever,” said Dr. Isaac Bogoch, an infectious diseases specialist at Toronto General Hospital.

West Nile virus first arrived in Canada in August 2002, according to Infection Prevention and Control Canada (IPAC).

IPAC says the virus primarily infects birds and is then spread to humans by mosquitoes that have fed on the blood of those birds.

Though no human cases have been reported in Canada so far this year, Bogoch said they are typically seen in mid- to late summer and into early fall.

In those that the virus does infect, about 70 to 80 per cent may not even realize they have it, as they will have no symptoms.

But those who do will typically experience symptoms like a fever, a headache, body aches, a mild rash and swollen lymph glands.

The symptoms usually appear within two to 15 days after infection.

2:26 West Nile Virus due to spread to remote areas of Quebec due to climate change

The Public Health Agency of Canada says less than one per cent of people infected with the virus will develop severe symptoms and health effects.

PHAC says people 50 years and older, those with chronic diseases like cancer and heart disease, and those with weakened immune systems are at higher risk of severe symptoms.

In severe cases, people can face the rapid onset of a severe headache, a high fever, a stiff neck, nausea or vomiting, difficulty swallowing, drowsiness or confusion.

PHAC says loss of consciousness, lack of co-ordination, muscle weakness or paralysis are also possible in severe cases.

“Rarely it can cause neurologic manifestations and that can be more severe,” Bogoch said.

“It can cause inflammation of the brain, inflammation of the area around the brain and spinal cord, a meningitis-type picture, and then it can also rarely cause a paralysis-type syndrome that’s really reminiscent of polio.”

Canadian Family Physician, the official publication of the College of Family Physicians of Canada, notes that three to 15 per cent of those with severe illness can die.

“It’s extremely rare, but again it’s no laughing matter,” Bogoch said.

Mild cases typically take a week to recover, but PHAC says some severe cases could see a variety of health effects that could last months to years after illness.

People who develop symptoms of West Nile after being bitten by a mosquito are urged to see their health-care provider immediately.

The risk of becoming infected with West Nile virus starts in mid-April and lasts typically until the first hard frost in either late September or October.

The highest risk period for humans is between mid-July and early September, with mosquitoes often most active at dawn and dusk.

PHAC says when outside, people should cover exposed skin by wearing long pants and loose-fitting, long-sleeved shirts, socks and a hat. People should also wear light-coloured clothing, as PHAC notes mosquitoes are attracted to dark colours.

People are also encouraged to use insect repellents containing DEET or icaridin, which can also help prevent bites.

The health agency says Canadians can also take steps to reduce mosquitoes near their home, namely by getting rid of standing water around their home and putting screens on their windows and doors.

However, while West Nile can be a concern, Bogoch says it shouldn’t prevent Canadians from enjoying the summer, whether they’re at the beach, at a cottage or enjoying summer camp.

“We should be outside and enjoying it as much as possible, because winter is unfortunately around the corner as well,” he said. “But no reason to hide indoors because of this. Just go outside, have a wonderful time, be aware that they’re there.”

“PHAC is currently accelerating its audit of Oxaro and Oxaro’s management of the Vaccine Injury Support Program, and the Agency will provide recommendations on alternative delivery models for the program,” said Emilie Gauduchon-Campbell, a senior communications adviser responsible for issues management in the health minister’s office.

Gauduchon-Campbell revealed those developments in an email this week following the broadcast and publication of a three-part investigation Global News investigation into VISP in July.

“All options are on the table as we make sure that taxpayer dollars are being spent appropriately, and that the money is being spent on supporting Canadians who have been injured,” she added.

Asked about the sped-up scrutiny at a news conference in Fredericton Tuesday, Health Minister Michel told reporters: “I cannot add any comment more for now, but I am on it.”

The audit’s previous deadline was not disclosed and the minister’s spokeswoman declined to disclose the revised deadline.

“PHAC’s audit of OXARO’s work is part of normal practice and understood from the outset of any program as a condition of the contribution agreement. However, PHAC has accelerated its response based on its initial analysis of the program and the direction from Minister Michel to find a solution that resolved the identified problems,” Gauduchon-Campbell added in a second statement last night.

Neither the minister nor her staff would elaborate on what they mean by “alternative delivery models.” Those could include the government taking back administration of the program itself or hiring a new private company to serve as administrator to handle vaccine injury claims.

The Liberal government in 2020 announced it would create VISP to provide financial support to anyone who is seriously and permanently injured as it embarked on the COVID-19 vaccination campaign, the largest such effort in the country’s history.

The government decided to outsource its administration to an Ottawa consulting firm, Oxaro Inc., in 2021. But the Global News series revealed allegations and complaints by applicants and former workers about its flawed delivery over the past four years, despite $54 million in taxpayer dollars going to the program.

2:41 ‘Slap in the face’: Calls for investigation into Vaccine Injury Support Program

In response to the revelations, four opposition Conservative MPs called for a Commons committee investigation into the VISP, and a pivotal non-profit health foundation also said the program needs an urgent overhaul.

The five-month Global News investigation that prompted the outcry revealed that:

• Oxaro had received $50.6 million in taxpayer money; $33.7 million has been spent on administrative costs, while injured Canadians received $16.9 million. Updated Health Canada figures released last week show the company has now received $54.1 million and spent $36.3 million on administration costs, with just $18.1 million paid to injured Canadians
• PHAC and Oxaro underestimated the number of injury claims VISP would get, initially predicting 40 per year and then up to 400 valid claims annually. More than 3,317 applications have been filed — of those, more than 1,738 people await decisions on their claims
• Some injured applicants say they face a revolving door of unreachable VISP case managers and require online fundraising campaigns to survive

3:02 Federal Vaccine Injury Support Program leaving some injured people waiting for years

• Some VISP applicants and former staff said Oxaro was unequipped to deliver fully on the program’s mission to deliver “timely and fair” support, and questions emerged about why the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) chose this company over others, while internal documents suggested poor planning from the start

Global News obtained internal government documents that suggested poor planning from the start as both PHAC and Oxaro underestimated the number of applications the program would get.

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In an email to Global News Monday, a VISP spokesman identified only as “William, Case Escalation Manager,” reiterated earlier comments and responses by the consulting company but confirmed Global News reporting on the wildly inaccurate claims forecasts.

“Applications to the program grew to more than 10 times the originally anticipated levels,” William said.  “The program processes, procedures and staffing were adapted to face this unexpected increase in volume.”

“VISP is a program that adapts to changing circumstances and continuously improves to meet its objectives,” William added.

The Oxaro spokesman said the company and PHAC have been collaborating closely to evaluate how the program “can remain agile to handle the workload on hand while respecting budget requirements.”

Oxaro has also said that its monthly invoices sent to the government include documents and details, which in turn PHAC reviews and approves prior to all payments it gets.

When it bid for and won the VISP contract in 2021, Oxaro vowed it had the “people, processes, and tools” to run the initiative with “industry best practices.”

Global News also heard descriptions of a workplace that lacked the gravitas of a program meant to assist the seriously injured and chronically ill: drinking in the office, ping pong, slushies and Netflix streaming at desks.

2:48 Whistleblowers allege ‘high school’ workplace inside federal program

Some workers said the office distractions had improved in recent months and emphasized that they had done their best with the resources they were given.

One worker added that: “I don’t think anyone actually understood the severity or the relevance of the program that was being contracted to the firm.”

READ MORE OF OUR COVERAGE 

PART 1: Canada set up a $50M vaccine injury program. Those harmed say it’s failing them 

PART 2: ‘Nothing was ready’: Inside Canada’s Vaccine Injury Support Program

PART 3: VISP aimed to curb vaccine injury lawsuits. Now, people are suing in 3 provinces

READ OTHER RELATED STORIES:

Vaccine injury programs elsewhere also face challenges, criticism

Is VISP an independent administrator? Here’s what some documents say

Tory MPs, health group call for investigation and overhaul of vaccine support program

Federal auditors target vaccine injury program amid surprise Oxaro office visit

‘Breach of trust’: Critics slam Ottawa’s vaccine injury program ‘failure’

Want to contact us about this investigation? Email: andrew.mcintosh@corusent.com or carolyn.jarvis@globalnews.com. You can also reach Andrew at (416) 550-4684.

The parents of a New Brunswick boy say they’re angry after they were asked to leave a hospital emergency room because their son, who has ADHD and autism, was allegedly being too loud while he was waiting to be seen for seizures.

Lorissa and Glendon Kingston had brought their seven-year-old son, Cayden, to the Saint John Regional Hospital’s ER department on July 15.

Cayden, who is non-verbal and has epilepsy, has struggled with seizures since birth and had been experiencing longer episodes in recent days.

“The absence seizures are a lot more worse than the normal ones he has where he’s jolting. The absent ones can create issues … like brain damage,” his father, Glendon, explained.

The family called their pediatrician’s office and was advised to take Cayden to the Saint John Regional Hospital.

Lorissa says they were triaged by a nurse upon entering the ER and then told to wait in the children’s RAZ (rapid assessment zone) waiting room.

She recalls that after another patient left, she was alone with her son in that particular room.

“Then he started to get overwhelmed with all the seizures that he was having. So sometimes he vocal stims, and he’ll have vocal outbursts where he just screeches and it’s not really controllable,” Lorissa said.

“So he started having those and then the nurse come in and said, ‘If he can’t stop screaming, you guys will have to leave and you won’t be welcome here because he’s disrupting other patients.'”

Lorissa says she explained to the nurse that her son can’t control the stims.

“She’s like, ‘Well then, I guess I need you guys to leave.’ So we ended up just getting up and leaving and then followed up with a doctor after.”

The parents say it feels like their son was discriminated against and they’re upset they’re being forced to fight for health care for him.

“I never thought we would ever get kicked out of an emergency room while seeking care for him,” Lorissa said.

“(It) is basically a human right that you need medical help, you go, you get the help you need. And they turned him away. So, it was sad because they were discriminating against him for being different.”

In a statement to Global News, Horizon Health Network said that while it could not comment on the specifics of the case due to privacy laws, it wanted to “express compassion to the child and their family during what was a distressing and difficult situation.”

Pam Power, the clinical executive director of emergency medicine and critical care, said Horizon does not deny care to any patient in the ER and follows a standardized triage protocol.

“We aim to provide compassionate, inclusive care to all patients. This includes making efforts to accommodate patients who may be non-verbal, neurodivergent, or have other communication or behavioural challenges,” she wrote.

“Staff are encouraged to offer quieter spaces when available and to work with families and caregivers to understand and support the patient’s unique needs.”

The statement goes on to say that Saint John Regional Hospital, along with the other regional hospitals, has been facing significant “capacity challenges.”

“On the date referenced, the ED inpatient occupancy at SJRH was at 206%,” she added.

Power encouraged anyone with concerns about their experiences to reach out to their patient relations department.

Lorissa showed Global News a copy of an email she sent to that department on July 15, but said she hasn’t received a reply.

She adds that in the past, when they’ve sought medical care and Cayden was experiencing vocal stims, they were given a separate room but had never been denied care before.

Meanwhile, the Kingston family hopes speaking out about their experience will enact change because ultimately, they know they have to keep going to the hospital’s ER if Cayden needs medical attention.

“In the future, I know that I would bring him back if he had to go back but the thought is still going to be in my head: ‘What if they kick us out again?”‘ Lorissa said.

“It will never be like, ‘Oh yeah, I’m confident that he’ll get the help he needs.’ I just want the people who I’ve reached out to to do something because I know that they have the power to do it.”

The federal government will “try” to improve how the Vaccine Injury Support Program delivers services and financial support to ailing and fragile Canadians, Health Minister Marjorie Michel said Monday.

Michel made the brief remarks in New Brunswick, as she publicly answered questions for the first time about the VISP’s performance since a five-month Global News investigation was broadcast and published online earlier this month.

“As you know, for now, it’s a third party delivering the (VISP) services. We heard that some people are complaining about it. We are tracking this closely with the third party with delivering services. And we will try to improve,” Michel said.

2:41 ‘Slap in the face’: Calls for investigation into Vaccine Injury Support Program

Michel was responding to Global News’ questions at a news conference she held in New Brunswick.

The Liberal government in 2020 announced it would create the VISP to provide financial support to anyone who is seriously and permanently injured by a vaccine as it embarked on the COVID-19 vaccination campaign, the largest such effort in Canadian history.

The Public Health Agency of Canada decided to outsource the administration of this program to an Ottawa consulting firm, Oxaro Inc., in 2021.

Last week, four Conservative MPs called for a Commons committee investigation into the how VISP is being administered, and a pivotal non-profit health foundation said the effort needs an urgent overhaul because it was too slow.

3:02 Federal Vaccine Injury Support Program leaving some injured people waiting for years

Global News’ five-month investigation that prompted the outcry revealed that:

• Oxaro had received $50.6 million in taxpayer money; $33.7 million has been spent on administrative costs, while injured Canadians received $16.9 million. Updated Health Canada figures released last week show the company has now received $54.1 million and spent $36.3 million on administration costs, with $18.1 million paid to injured Canadians
• PHAC and Oxaro underestimated the number of injury claims VISP would get, initially predicting 40 per year and then up to 400 valid claims annually. More than 3,317 applications have been filed — of those, more than 1,738 people await decisions on their claims
• Some injured applicants say they face a revolving door of unreachable VISP case managers and require online fundraising campaigns to survive
• Some VISP applicants and former staff said Oxaro was unequipped to deliver fully on the program’s mission to deliver “timely and fair” support, and questions emerged about why the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) chose this company over others, while internal documents suggested poor planning from the start

When asked at her New Brunswick news conference whether the Liberal government will renew Oxaro’s contract once it expires next year, the Health Minister responded:

“Every option is on the table, for now, I will tell you,” Michel said. “That’s my answer to you, I know everything we heard. It’s very, you know, we are tracking it. It’s unacceptable what we heard about this. And we are, every option is now on the table.” 

“No, people shouldn’t wait if they really need services or to get compensation, but as I will tell you it’s more complex than this. Sometimes there’s reason why they cannot get access to the benefits,” Michel added.

Global News obtained internal documents that suggested poor planning from the start as both the government and consulting firm underestimated the number of applications the program would get.

View image in full screen

In an email to Global News Monday, a VISP spokesman identified only as “William, Case Escalation Manager,” reiterated earlier comments and responses by the consulting company but confirmed Global News reporting.

“Applications to the program grew to more than 10 times the originally anticipated levels,” William said.  “The program processes, procedures and staffing were adapted to face this unexpected increase in volume.”

“VISP is a program that adapts to changing circumstances and continuously improves to meet its objectives,” William added.

2:48 Whistleblowers allege ‘high school’ workplace inside federal program

“OXARO and PHAC have been collaborating closely to evaluate how the program can remain agile to handle the workload on hand while respecting budget requirements,” the company said.

Oxaro has also said that its monthly invoices to the government include documents and details, which in turn PHAC reviews and approves prior to all payments it gets.

–with a file from Anna Mandin, Global News 

READ MORE OF OUR COVERAGE 

PART 1: Canada set up a $50M vaccine injury program. Those harmed say it’s failing them 

4:04 ‘Chaos’ inside Federal Vaccine Injury Support Program

PART 2: ‘Nothing was ready’: Inside Canada’s Vaccine Injury Support Program

PART 3: VISP aimed to curb vaccine injury lawsuits. Now, people are suing in 3 provinces

READ OTHER RELATED STORIES:

Tory MPs, health group call for investigation and overhaul of vaccine support program

Federal auditors target vaccine injury program amid surprise Oxaro office visit

‘Breach of trust’: Critics slam Ottawa’s vaccine injury program ‘failure’

Is VISP an independent administrator? Here’s what some documents say

Vaccine injury programs elsewhere also face challenges, criticism

Want to contact us about this investigation? Email: andrew.mcintosh@corusent.com or carolyn.jarvis@globalnews.com. You can also reach Andrew at (416) 550-4684.

2:26 ‘A Real Scandal’: MPs say Vaccine Injury Support Program must be fixed

AIDS activists are urging the federal government to quickly renew Canada’s support for fighting infectious diseases abroad, warning delays will further hinder global efforts to combat key illnesses.

“While some of the other nations around the world are retreating right now from investing in global health, Canada can and should be stepping forward swiftly, to save lives,” said Justin McAuley, a director with the Canadian branch of the ONE Campaign.

His group is among 24 Canadian civil society organizations that asked the government to allocate $1.37 billion over three years for the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria.

The fund is affiliated with the United Nations, and it supports developing countries in limiting and treating the three preventable illnesses, which in many regions are among the leading causes of death.

Canada is one of the world’s top supporters of the fund, which makes up the largest chunk of Ottawa’s global health spending. Canada has contributed nearly $5 billion to the Global Fund since 2002, and the fund estimates it has saved 65 million lives in that time.

Countries replenish the fund every three years, with their contributions usually rising over time as health-care systems build more capacity to treat and prevent these diseases.

In each cycle, civil society groups issue what they call a fair-share metric to reflect how much each wealthy country can reasonably pledge to help the fund reach its goals.

2:38 Risk of 2,000 new HIV infections daily after US aid freeze, UN AIDS agency estimates

The office of Randeep Sarai, secretary of state for international development, referred questions about the $1.37 billion request to Global Affairs Canada.

“Canada looks forward to working together as part of the Global Fund partnership to secure a successful eighth replenishment of the fund this year,” the department wrote in a statement. “Discussions regarding Canada’s pledge are ongoing.”

McAuley said he hopes Ottawa announces its pledge soon, to build momentum for other countries to follow suit.

“Canada has a unique role and legacy to play in the global health space,” he said. “Our momentum will mean something on the world stage — if we come out early, and don’t wait for the last minute.”

Results Canada, another group asking Ottawa to meet the civil society target, noted the G7 summit that Canada hosted in Alberta “focused on trade, conflict and climate — but overlooked two of the most powerful tools for global stability: health and education.”

That has put the legacy of the Global Fund “under threat,” the group argued in an email campaign. “As countries cut international assistance, decades of hard-won gains hang in the balance.”

UNAIDS reported on July 10 that HIV infections and deaths continue to drop, but sudden cuts by the United States and others “threaten to reverse years of progress in the response to HIV.”

U.S. Republicans recently reversed plans to cut PEPFAR, the world’s largest HIV program, but Washington is still on track to slash its contribution to the Global Fund.

2:11 USAID cuts: South Africa-led HIV vaccine development comes to a halt

Countries normally make pledges at an organized conference, such as the last cycle when prime minister Justin Trudeau visited the United Nations in New York in 2022.

This year, there is no pledging conference, though McAuley expects leaders of large economies to make pledges before visiting South Africa for the G20 summit in November.

He said global health is already under pressure from armed conflicts, climate-related events and the ongoing recovery of health systems from cutbacks during the COVID-19 pandemic. Rich countries are cutting back on foreign aid as they increase military spending.

Prime Minister Mark Carney promised in last spring’s election to not cut foreign aid spending or development financing, though this was before he launched a review of government spending and committed to large amounts of military-related spending.

McAuley said Carney ought to meet the metric outlined by civil society, or he’ll be offside with his two last predecessors.

“Both Harper and Trudeau repeatedly stepped up and did Canada’s fair share,” he said. “Is Carney going to break that pattern now and step back?”