Health

New Brunswick health officials report a rapid surge in influenza A (H3N2) cases with higher hospitalizations and outbreaks, and they say the dominant strain is evading some protection from this season's vaccine.

B.C. announced it will not seek a federal renewal of its decriminalization pilot, saying the program had not delivered the hoped-for results. The province said it will shift focus toward building up voluntary and involuntary treatment options.

British Columbia announced it will not seek an extension of its three-year exemption that decriminalized small amounts of drugs, and the pilot is set to end on Jan. 31.

An advocate who helped shape B.C.'s drug decriminalization pilot said she is greatly disappointed after the province announced it will not seek a federal exemption to continue the three-year pilot, which is slated to end Jan. 31.

Alberta plans to test drinking water for lead and copper in more than 200 provincially owned buildings; the request for bids closed this week and the province expects testing and reporting completed by next spring.

The Hadamamo Mist is a 60 mL compact insect repellent formulated with weak acidity similar to skin pH and four moisturizing ingredients; it is designed for daily and travel use and is reported to be sweat- and water-resistant.

British Columbia has ended its three-year drug decriminalization pilot and will not seek a federal renewal; officials said the pilot did not deliver the results hoped for and that other approaches will continue to address the toxic-drug crisis.

A survey of 1,055 family physicians in Ontario found female family doctors spend about 15–20% more time per patient—nearly four minutes longer per appointment—than male colleagues, and study authors say this contributes to extra work and a pay gap.

A Harvard study found that between 2011 and 2019 former NFL players died by suicide at about 2.6 times the rate of former NBA and MLB players, and authors said multiple health and reporting factors may contribute.

Health Minister Josie Osborne announced B.C. will not extend its three-year drug decriminalization pilot, which began Jan. 31, 2023 and is set to expire at the end of this month.

A modeling study of nearly 60,000 UK Biobank participants suggests that combined small improvements in sleep, physical activity and diet could add about one year of life, while larger combined changes were projected to add more than nine years; the authors note these are theoretical projections rather than proven causal effects.

A UBC study reports that physicians and nurse practitioners face complex, time-consuming hurdles when assessing Track 2 MAiD applicants, citing eligibility interpretation, specialist consultation gaps, and impacts on patients found ineligible.

New Brunswick's health minister is considering adapting a Northern Ontario 'virtual home waiting room' pilot that let eligible non-urgent ER patients wait at home and receive text updates; the Sault Area Hospital trial reported shorter in-hospital wait times and high user satisfaction.

Avricore Health announced plans to deploy its HealthTab™ platform to 70 additional community pharmacy sites across North East London as part of NHS-linked cardiovascular programmes with Barts Health NHS Trust, with deployment expected in the coming weeks.

The Government of Manitoba published a web application that shows animal samples requested for rabies testing since the province took over the rabies program on April 1, 2014, and says the provincial program is coordinated by Manitoba Rabies Central; the dataset will be updated quarterly.

Alberta is replacing routine Pap smears with an HPV-based screening test, initially offered to people aged 50 to 69 with plans to expand to ages 25 to 49.

Quebec plans to finish a provincewide rollout of a more sensitive HPV screening test by mid-2026, replacing Pap tests and offering screening every five years to people aged 25–65; Montreal is still completing a soft rollout.

P.E.I.'s chief public health officer says influenza may have peaked and should decline in the next few weeks; the province has reported 61 hospitalizations this season, with two thirds of those hospitalized unvaccinated.

The Clorox Company announced Clorox PURE, a line of daily air and fabric sprays the company says is designed to neutralize common household allergens such as pollen, dust mite matter and pet dander using a plant-based active ingredient and Aller-Fresh Technology.

Alberta's chief medical officer of health said the province appears to be past the worst of an early, large H3N2-driven flu wave and that hospital admissions have begun to decline. Officials plan a formal update on hospital capacity on Thursday.

Health Canada has required higher vitamin D fortification in milk and margarine, a rule that became mandatory on Dec. 31, 2025; one in five Canadians are reported to have low vitamin D levels.

Statistics Canada reports life expectancy at birth rose from 81.68 years in 2023 to 82.16 years in 2024, approaching the 2019 level of 82.22 years. Cancer remained the leading cause of death, accounting for 26.2% of deaths.

Dr. Vivien Suttorp said hospitalizations for respiratory viruses peaked on Dec. 31 at 700 influenza patients and have since fallen to 513; she told reporters the worst of the season is likely over.

Manitoba public health reported one new measles exposure site in southern Manitoba and asked people present at the specified time to monitor for symptoms and check their immunization records; the province will update case counts weekly on its measles webpage.

Discussions of menopause have become more common in workplaces, and a Menopause Foundation of Canada survey noted more than two million working women aged 45–55 with about two thirds saying they would not feel comfortable talking to a supervisor or HR.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration granted Breakthrough Therapy Designation to IPN60340 given with venetoclax and azacitidine for first-line unfit acute myeloid leukemia, based on early Phase I/II EVICTION trial data. Ipsen plans to discuss Phase II/III development plans with the FDA in the first half of 2026.

Canada’s Food Inspection Agency announced a recall of an unnamed beef burger product after tests indicated possible E. coli contamination and said no illnesses have been reported.

Friends and family recall Trevor Dubois’s long record of helping others and say he died after a physical altercation with security at Royal University Hospital; relatives say they are still waiting for answers from police and the Saskatchewan Health Authority.

Officials say the H3N2-driven flu season has been heavier than recent years and has strained hospitals, especially for older adults and young children. Health experts also report it is not too late in the season for people to receive a flu vaccine.

Internal records show 21 current and former OPP staff died by suicide since 2012 and reviews and an action plan have not fully resolved gaps in the force's mental-health program; attendance at mandatory check-ins for targeted units has been low, especially in covert operations.