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Hepatitis A Outbreak in Island Lakes Area 

Manitoba Health, Seniors and Long-Term Care is responding to a hepatitis A outbreak in the Island Lake region of Northern Manitoba including Garden Hill, St. Theresa Point, Wasagamack, and Red Sucker Lake. 

The response: To help contain the outbreak, all residents aged 6 months or older in these communities are now eligible for two doses of hepatitis A vaccine. 

• Eligibility also extends to anyone travelling to or working in these communities. 
• Public health teams continue community immunization efforts and contact tracing. 

🩺 What physicians can do:

• Stay alert: Watch for potential local hepatitis A transmission in patients presenting with compatible symptoms. 
• Test and report: Early identification, testing, and prompt reporting to public health are key. 
• Vaccinate: Review immunization records and offer hepatitis A vaccine to eligible individuals. 
  • Vaccines can be ordered using the Manitoba Health Vaccines and Biologics Order Form, then faxed or emailed to the Provincial Vaccine Warehouse.
    
• For clinical details, consult the Hepatitis A Communicable Disease Protocol.

📞 Need support?
Questions can be directed to vaccines@​gov.​mb.​ca.

✔️ Reminder: Shared Health has important new information on Manitoba’s Hepatitis C protocol as well. View the memo to health care providers we shared last week and find more information here.

Physician Expansion to Health Links 

As part of the provincial government’s plan to eventually transition Health Links — Info Santé into an easier-to-dial 811 service, they are enhancing the phone-based health advice service to include medical advice from physicians when needed. 

This new part of Health Links will be called the Virtual Integrated Clinical Service (VICS). VICS will launch on November 12, initially with limited daytime hours (8 am to 4 pm). The initial implementation will include one family doctor providing virtual (telephone or video) consultations to callers who have been triaged by Health Links nurses. 

Interested? VICS is recruiting family physicians who are interested in learning more about the service and opportunities to join the team. If you are interested, please fill out the VICS expression of interest form. You can also email the VICS team at VICS@​sharedhealthmb.​ca for further information. 

An initial cohort of physicians have been trained on the processes and tools available, including the Electronic Patient Record, On Demand Contact Center Phone System and Tiger Connect messaging platform. They are now in the process of scheduling 4‑hour physician shifts. Remuneration is based on the hourly rate set out in the Physician Services Agreement.

Medical Assessment in Long-Term Care (LTC) Survey 

What’s happening: As part of Shared Health’s ongoing efforts to strengthen patient safety and enhance care processes, the organization is conducting a Medical Assessment in Long-Term Care (LTC) Survey to better understand the current assessment form, identify challenges, and explore opportunities for improvement. 

👉 Your voice matters: Please take a few minutes to complete the anonymous survey by 21^st of November 2025.

Measles Update

What’s new: Manitoba Public Health is notifying the public about a new measles exposure sites: 

• Emerado Centennial School on October 29 

• Dairy Queen in Winkler on October 24, 25 and 28 

• Boundary Trails ER on October 26 

• Grunthal Auction Service on October 20, 21 and 22 

• Garden Valley Collegiate in Winkler on October 22 and 23 

• Northlands Parkway Collegiate in Winkler on October 22 

Learn more: We’re keeping track of measles updates and resources for physicians on the Doctors Manitoba Measles Update page, including links to all exposures sites and symptom monitoring windows. 

📈 Manitoba has seen 240 measles cases this year as part of the worst outbreak in decades. In the 25 years prior, there were only 18 cases total.