Medical Advisory: Network/Fax Outage & Interim Reporting

Current Situation

• The City of Hamilton has been experiencing a network outage related to a cybersecurity incident.
• 905-546-2489 (CITY) phoneline is operational, Public Health Services phonelines and faxes remain nonfunctional.

Action Required for the week of 04-Mar-2024 until the network outage is resolved;

Reportable Disease

Please report any suspect or confirmed cases of the diseases listed in Appendix A below or their etiologic agents specified in O. Reg. 135/18 Designation of Diseases under the Health Protection and Promotion Act, R.S.O. 1990, c. H.7.

How to report

• During regular business hours Monday to Friday 8:30 am to 4:30 pm - verbally report diseases that require immediate and same-day reporting by calling 365-324-2467 (see Appendix A)
• After hours and Weekends - call 905-546-2489 (CITY) to speak with the on-call Public Health Nurse or Public Health Inspector. Please follow the usual after-hours procedure for diseases that require reporting after-hours.
• For laboratories, please print all lab reports and send by mail.
  • Mailing Address: 4th Floor David Braley Health Sciences Centre, 100 Main St W, Hamilton, ON, L8P 1H6

Contacting the Infectious Disease, Infection Prevention and Control (IPAC) and Outbreak Programs including to report outbreaks or for general inquiries

• During regular business hours - Monday-Friday 8:30 am to 4:30 pm, please call 365-323-8170
• After hours and Weekends - call 905-546-2489 (CITY) to speak with the on-call Public Health Nurse or Public Health Inspector. Please follow the after-hours procedure for diseases that require reporting after-hours.

Rabies exposures, bites or other animal contact incidents

• During Regular Business Hours - To report an incident during business hours, please call 905-971-4557.
• After Hours and Weekends – To report a rabies incident outside of business hours, please call the City of Hamilton Public Health Inspector on-call at 905-546-2489 (CITY).

STI Medication and Vaccine Ordering

Please send STI Medication Order Forms and Vaccine Order Forms by email to [email protected] *Please do not include any personal health information or personal information on the STI Medication and Vaccine Order Forms.

Vaccine Records & Adverse Events Following Immunization Reporting

• Please advise your patients to refrain from faxing their vaccine records to HPHS.
  • Individuals can report their vaccines online at www.hamilton.ca/vaccines
  • Vaccine records can also be dropped off in-person at 110 King St. W. 2nd Floor reception Monday through Friday 8:30 am to 4:30 pm.
• To report an Adverse Event Following Immunization or Cold Chain Failures, call 905-961-5057.
• If you need to speak to Vaccine Program staff regarding reporting vaccine records, vaccine record interpretation, or ordering vaccines through special order, please call 905-961-5057 during business hours Monday to Friday 8:30 am to 4:30 pm.

For any Healthy Babies Healthy Children (HBHC) referrals

• 905-546-2489 (CITY) and ask to be transferred to the Health Connections phoneline