Adrian Dix, Minister of Health, has issued the following statement in recognition of World AIDS Day on Dec. 1, 2021: “Today, on World AIDS Day, and during Indigenous AIDS Awareness Week, we show our solidarity with people living with HIV and AIDS here in British Columbia. We mourn those we have lost and we celebrate
June 5 marked 40 years since the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention first described cases of what came to be known as AIDS. Since then, UNAIDS estimates nearly 33 million people have died from HIV/AIDS, and about 38 million people currently live with HIV. Millions of those deaths and infections could have been
The devastating Tk’emlps te SecweÌpemc First Nation discovery of an unmarked grave containing the remains of 215 Indigenous children at the site of the former Kamloops Residential School is a horrendous substantiation of the maltreatment suffered by Indigenous Peoples in Canada. The impact on the Indigenous people in BC and all of Canada is unthinkable
Faculty of medicine researchers received national funding for work on COVID-19 virus variants. The Honourable Patty Hajdu, Minister of Health, announced a total investment of $14.3 million from the Canadian government, through the Canadian Institutes of Health Research. This includes $5.3 million in supplementary funding for 90 ongoing COVID-19 projects and $9 million for a
New South Wales Chief Health Officer Dr Kerry Chant today released the NSW HIV Strategy 2021-2025, which aims to achieve the virtual elimination of HIV transmission in NSW. NSW is a world leader in responding to HIV. The Strategy builds on the success of its predecessor, which saw substantial improvements in HIV prevention, testing and
A new study recommends giving elderly people their second dose on schedule. As B.C. prepares to relax visitation restrictions at long-term care facilities on April 1, new research shows that a single dose of the Pfizer vaccine produces a much weaker antibody response in long-term care residents than it does in younger, healthy adults. That
The findings raise questions about the optimal timing of the second dose of the vaccine for older adults. “Results from this study in long-term care facilities in Vancouver reveal that individuals of advanced age, following the first dose of a two-dose vaccination regimen, are less able to generate as strong an antibody response, both in
VANCOUVER — A team of B.C. doctors, researchers and clinicians is urging the provincial government to reconsider its vaccination strategy for the elderly after they found seniors aren’t developing enough antibodies to COVID-19 after one dose of the Pfizer vaccine – a recommendation that’s become more urgent with the expansion of visitation to care homes.
The first time I ever saw Demetre Daskalakis, M.D., M.P.H., was in April 2017, at an afternoon dance party at the AIDS Memorial in downtown New York to end HIV stigma and celebrate the science of U=U (undetectable equals untransmittable. As I was boogie-oogie-oogie-ing, my friend asked me if I recognized the DJ. I looked
Improved access to life-saving health care in downtown Vancouver takes another leap forward as construction kicks off for the new St. Paul’s Hospital at the Jim Pattison Medical Centre, the largest hospital redevelopment project in B.C.’s history. “The new St. Paul’s Hospital will be home to world-class public health care as well as research and
Despite more than 35 years of research, scientists have yet to find a cure for the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV): the virus that causes acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). Antiretroviral therapy (ART) has been a major breakthrough that does help suppress the virus, but it’s not a cure. And while there have been a few well-publicized
FHS professors Mark Brockman and Zabrina Brumme are co-leading a study with Dr. Marc Romney, the Medical Lead for Microbiology and Virology at Providence Health Care, to examine the strength and durability of immune responses in residents and staff of long-term care facilities following COVID-19 vaccination. Their study partners include UBC and the BC Centre
The virtual Caf Scientifique examines the interconnected nature of the climate crisis and mental health At Climate Impacts on the Mental Health and Wellness of British Columbians, the discussion on environmental degradation, mental health, and social injustices confronted the traditional narrative of the climate crisis. By identifying proactive ways to combat the climate crisis and
If Dr. Demetre Daskalakis is harboring anxieties over taking a new national health position in the middle of two global pandemics, it doesn’t show. Formerly the deputy commissioner for the Division of Disease Control at the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, Daskalakis was hired as director of the Division of HIV/AIDS
A virologist said it may be months before restrictions for visitors are lifted, and freedoms and procedures at seniors’ homes may never return to pre-COVID times. Residents of seven B.C. seniors’ homes, including one with one of the deadliest COVID-19 outbreaks, have been or soon will be fully vaccinated, but a virologist studying how well
We’re in an ‘escalating arms race’ with the virus. Our fighting chance requires vigilance – and patience. Since vaccines began rolling out late last year, many British Columbians have wondered whether the shot would be their pass to hug an elderly loved one, shed their mask or plan postponed weddings. Not so fast, says provincial
A virologist said it may be months before restrictions for visitors are lifted, and freedoms and procedures at seniors’ homes may never return to pre-COVID times. Residents of seven B.C. seniors’ homes, including one with one of the deadliest COVID-19 outbreaks, have been or soon will be fully vaccinated, but a virologist studying how well
It is with heavy heart that we share with you the passing of Carl P Vanderspek, aged 79. Carl passed early Friday, February 5th, 2021, quietly at home in Burnaby, after a year-long battle with cancer, surrounded by some of those who loved him most. Carl is remembered by his loving wife Margaret, son Doug,
Residents of long-term care facilities are at increased risk for serious outcomes of COVID-19. As vaccines are now being offered to this priority population, the Government of Canada is investing over $2 million through Canada’s COVID-19 Immunity Task Force (CITF) for two studies in British Columbia (BC) and Alberta which will investigate how the immune
When Jenny Bailey learned she was next in line to get the COVID-19 vaccine, she could hardly contain herself. “I was so excited when I found out we were getting it. I was just stopping myself from doing cartwheels,” she says with a laugh. “I was thrilled.” As a member of a priority population, Bailey,
The BC-CfE Laboratory is streamlining reporting processes for certain tests in order to simplify distribution and record-keeping, and to ensure completeness of results. Beginning September 2, 2025, results for the ‘Resistance Analysis of HIV-1 Protease and Reverse Transcriptase’ (Protease-RT) and ‘HIV-1 Integrase Resistance Genotype’ tests will be combined into a single ‘HIV-1 Resistance Genotype Report’.
For more details and example reports, please click on the button below
