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Health Department celebrates National Non-Smoking Week January 19 to 25

Whitby, Ontario – January 19 to 25 is National Non-Smoking Week (NNSW) and is a reminder from Durham Region Health Department that it's never too late to quit smoking.

For over 40 years, NNSW has raised awareness for Canadians about the dangers of tobacco use and the importance of supporting each other in the journey to quit smoking. Research has shown that tobacco remains the leading preventable cause of death in Canada, with approximately 16,000 lives lost to tobacco in Ontario each year and...

Area residents encouraged to get their annual flu shot and the new COVID-19 vaccine

Help keep everyone healthy during respiratory viral illness season

Whitby, Ontario – Respiratory viral illness season is here, and Durham Region Health Department encourages area residents to protect themselves and others by getting their annual influenza (flu) vaccine, as well as the updated COVID-19 KP.2 vaccine which targets circulating variants.

The flu vaccine protects against the influenza virus which causes a contagious respiratory viral illness. The updated COVID-19 vaccine helps protect...

Health Department encourages parents to book eye examinations for school-aged children

Whitby, Ontario – Durham Region Health Department is encouraging parents of school-aged children to book an appointment for their child with a local optometrist as vision screening is an important component of a child’s visual health.

The Ontario Association of Optometrists recommends that children should have their first eye examination at six-months old, another examination between two and five-years old and, subsequently, every year thereafter. The Ontario Health Insurance Plan (OHIP) covers a...

Health Department releases report on extreme heat in Durham Region

Second report in the series “Climate Change and Health in Durham Region”

Whitby, Ontario – Durham Region Health Department has released the report, Assessing the Impact of Extreme Heat, the second report in the series Climate Change and Health in Durham Region, available at durham.ca/ClimateAndHealth. This vulnerability assessment explores current and future local health impacts of extreme heat.

Climate change is causing more extreme heat events, which are now the deadliest weather-related events in...

KI tablets available for all area residents living near nuclear generating stations

Whitby, Ontario – Durham Region Health Department is encouraging all residents living within 10 kilometres of the Pickering or Darlington nuclear generating stations to have a supply of potassium iodide (KI) tablets in their households. This recommendation is also aimed at pregnant and breastfeeding persons, and parents of infants, children and adolescents as KI is both safe and most effective for these individuals.

KI is a stable iodine salt effective in reducing the risk of thyroid cancer in...