speaking of children - summer 2014

With the support of more than 80,000 donors, the Campaign for BC Children has reached its $200-million goal. Thanks to you, BC’s children will have a new hospital in 2017! Go online now to see the 2013/14 annual report and share this success.

www.bcchf.ca/annual-report

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2 speaking of children summer 2014

Managing EditorStephen Forgacs

EditorTara Turner

Contributors Brittany Beaupre, Danielle Clark,

Lesley Ellis, Kerry Gold, Mary Frances Hill, Rebecca Keillor

PhotograPhyIrvin Cheung, Andrew Chin, Brandon

Elliott, James LaBounty, Lisa VanderVelde, Jeff Vinnick,

Jeff Weddell Photography

CrEatiVE dirECtorSusan Minton Green

art dirECtorFelice Bisby

ProjECt ManagEr Casey Crawford

ProduCEd by

For more information about the editorial content of Speaking of Children or to make a donation to

BC Children’s Hospital Foundation or Sunny Hill Foundation for Children,

please contact 604-875-2444, toll-free at 1-888-663-3033

or [email protected] Business Number: 11885 2433 RR0001

BC Children’s Hospital Foundation, 938 West 28th Avenue,

Vancouver, BC V5Z 4H4Return undeliverable Canadian addresses to

SOC Editor at address above.Speaking of Children is published three times annually by BC Children’s Hospital Foundation. Supporters who

donate $50 or more receive a one-year subscription to the magazine, which is also distributed to government officials, public health units and libraries throughout the province.

Publication sales agreement #40659514

BC Children’s Hospital Foundation raises funds for Children’s Hospital, Sunny Hill Health Centre for

Children and the Child & Family Research Institute.

A PuBLICATION OF

superhero news

Health Minister Terry Lake joined hospital staff, commun-ity members and health-care partners on May 9, 2014, to recognize donors to the Campaign for BC Children and clear the way for construction of the new Teck Acute Care Cen-tre, a 59,400-square-metre (640,000 sq. ft.) facility that will represent the heart of the new BC Children’s Hospital. “On behalf of the provincial government, I want to thank all those who have helped make this project possible through their donations to the fundraising campaign,” said Lake.

Named in recognition of the $25 million that Teck Resour-ces Limited has contributed since 2008, the Teck Acute Care Centre will be a bright, modern facility with single-occupant patient rooms, access to natural light and gardens. It will bring all-new inpatient units, an emergency department,

medical imaging and operating rooms, a cancer centre and intensive care units to patients at BC Children’s Hospital.

Two wings of the 74-year-old Shaughnessy Building are being demolished this summer to make room for the new centre, which is scheduled for completion in 2017.

“Construction of the Teck Acute Care Centre is the culmination of years of support by countless volunteers and donors, who gave their time, energy and enthusiasm to make this new hospital a reality,” said Don Lindsay, BC Children’s Hospital Foundation’s campaign chair and president & CEO, Teck. “Teck and its employees are proud to support the creation of a facility that will provide first-class health care for children from communities across British Columbia and the Yukon.”

Breaking ground for the new hospital

www.bcchf.ca

SUMMER 2014

On the CoverRead about Jack McMaster’s journey toward health and what the new hospital will offer.

Health Minister Terry Lake (right) and Teck president and CEO Don Lindsay (centre) celebrate the beginning of construction of the Teck Acute Care Centre with patients at the groundbreaking for the new BC Children’s Hospital.

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Capital campaign completed

Through the Campaign for BC Children tens of thousands of British Columbians came together to express their support for child health. Thanks to this generous outpouring, the largest health-related capital campaign in the province’s history, the Campaign for BC Children, came to a successful close. With your support we raised $200 million to transform the delivery of pediatric care across the province and protect the well-being of children in BC and the Yukon for many years to come.

Thanks to you and Teck Resources Limited, construction of the Teck Acute Care Centre, the heart of the new BC Children’s Hospital, is underway. And, with your help and the support of Save-On-Foods, lead benefactor of Child Health BC, children in the farthest corners of the province are enjoying better access to specialized care than ever before.

In this issue of Speaking of Children you will get a glimpse of the future hospital through the lens of the patients and families who visit the hospital today. You will see how your donations make a difference in the lives of children across the province – through Child Health BC – and in the development of innovative new medical procedures and programs that address the unique needs of patients from birth to adolescence. Thank you British Columbia – you did it!

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and it’s so hard, because kids Hudson’s age want to get into everything.”

She recalls an episode last Christmas, when Hudson came down with a cold and had to visit BC Children’s Emergency. “Pretty much every kid in there was throwing up,” she says. “And then we all caught a really bad gastrointestinal illness. It was winter, and there were germs everywhere.”

As one of five doctors involved in the planning of the new BC Children’s Hospital’s Emergency, Dr. Garth Meckler, head of Pediatric Emergency Medicine, is keenly aware of the problem. “In fact, it’s at the front of everybody’s mind,” he says. “A significant

portion of patients that need X-rays have injuries such as sprains and fractures, so it’s inconvenient and sometimes painful for patients to travel. It’s all about trying to improve patient experience so there is minimal disruption and it’s more efficient.

“With the current configuration, they have to walk through the entire length of the department to the hallway and wait for their X-rays and come back,” says Dr. Meckler. “And during daytime operating hours, our patients have to compete with scheduled outpatient radiology services.”

The designing and rebuilding process for the new BC Children’s Hospital includes reducing travel times and distances between key departments, he says. For example, it’s a goal to put Emergency’s procedure room next door to the X-ray room. Travel times can be reduced further still with the use of portable X-ray and ultrasound machines.

“Medical imaging and Emergency are the two areas in the new building that are going to be sharing a big interface,” he says, adding that it’s becoming standard for most hospitals.

“For other hospitals that I have visited, it is absolutely one of the key design principles for emergency departments to be adjacent to medical imaging.”

The redesign will have a huge impact on Hudson. He was growing well until he reached age two, at which point he stopped growing, says his mom. He began having uncontrollable coughing spells and caught pneumonia, winding up in Emergency every couple of weeks. But Voula had never even heard of CF, so she didn’t think her son was seriously ill.

“Basically we just kept going back because he kept getting sick,” she says. “I would take him in there when he was extremely sick and he would be limp in my arms.” He was diagnosed on a trip to Children’s Emergency after suffering from a collapsed lung.

Although his mother can’t remember the last time he was actually admitted to hospital, the Emergency Department still plays a vital role in Hudson’s life. Doctors are on call seven days a week, 24 hours a day, and Hudson’s parents call the paging service before arriving, so the doctor can plan to meet them there.

“It’s to the point where Hudson is so good at [having images made] that he just stands there and puts his arms up and they take the picture,” says Voula.

The Ledcor Emergency Department and the Lee Family Diagnostics and Imaging Area will be located on the ground level of the new BC Children’s Hospital. In addition to more space and better infection control, the imaging equipment will also get an upgrade when the new hospital opens in 2017.

“I’m really excited to see the new build-ing. We are veterans of BC Children’s Hos-pital,” Voula says, laughing.

Anyone who’s ever undergone a hospital procedureknows the awkwardness of walking around the hallway in a flimsy gown. For some of the young patients at BC Children’s, walking the hospital hallways is not just awkward, it can also be risky, because being around

other sick kids can increase their chance of infection. Voula Verigin’s six-year-old son Hudson has cystic fibrosis (CF), which makes breathing difficult due to frequent lung infections. The condition has made Hudson a regu-

lar patient at BC Children’s Hospital’s Emergency Department, where the standard routine

involves X-rays of his chest. An infec-tion puts a child with CF at serious risk, which is why children with CF and their parents must constantly avoid exposure to germs.

But to get to the hospital’s Diagnostics and Imaging Department for his X-ray, Hudson has to walk about 30 metres and cross a hall-way, putting him at great-er risk of exposure to the contagious illnesses of other sick children.

“As a parent it’s been an ongoing worry,” says

Voula, who lives in New Westminster with her hus-

band Graham, Hudson, and their 14-year-old daughter. “We try to not

show it as much, because we’ve got an older child who understands the serious-

ness of it, and obviously, we want to make life as fun as possible. But it’s an ongoing worry all the time. We’re always sanitizing our hands,

feature story

Scan the QR code for a sneak peek at Level 1 in

the new BC Children’s Hospital or visit

bcchf.ca/annual-report

KEEPING HUDSON HEALTHYEmergency care meets medical imaging

The designing and rebuilding process for the new BC Children’s Hospital includes reducing travel times and distances between key departments.

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Roughhousing with his three older brothers is one of Jack McMaster’s favourite pastimes, says his mother, Ursula, as the three-year-old bounces up to his parents at BC Children’s Hospital.

It’s impossible to guess that this little boy was born with a life-threatening condition, or that he has undergone brain sur-gery twice in his short life. Known as the vein of Galen malfor-mation, Jack’s condition is incredibly rare. There have only been five or six children diagnosed with it at BC Children’s over the past decade.

“It’s a specific name for a vein in the head that is supposed to change in its development (where the arteries connect into the vein) and these changes didn’t actually finish in Jack’s case,” says Dr. Manraj Heran, whose Interventional Radiology team diagnosed and treated Jack. The result is too much blood flow in this part of the brain, leaving other areas of the brain and body starved of blood and putting excessive strain on the heart.

Born at Langley Memorial Hospital, with nothing more than a slight heart murmur, it took a multidisciplinary team of specialists at BC Children’s to figure out what was wrong with Jack. His caregivers include Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) specialists, who treat over a thousand of the sickest children in BC every year; cardiologist Dr. Shubhayan Sanatani, whose humour, Jack’s parents say, has gotten them through the hard-est moments of their son’s illness; and Dr. Heran, who they say has treated Jack like he was his own son.

Jack’s father, Grant, will never forget the phone call he got from his wife, when he’d gone home to check on their other sons,

saying Jack had gone downhill fast. “I found him in the PICU,” he says. “And they had managed to stabilize him, but at that point they were at a loss to explain why his heart was failing.”

Imaging tests including ultrasounds, CT scans, and MRIs of Jack’s heart and brain revealed his problem. At six months of age, he was the first child to be treated for this condition in BC. Prior to that, kids were flown to Toronto for treatment. But the diverse medical expertise available to children at the hospital today make interventional radiology procedures like Jack’s possible in-prov-ince.

Avoiding the risks associated with transporting sick kids across the country is a huge win, says Dr. Heran, whose team performed the minimally invasive procedure on Jack. With a tiny catheter about the diameter of a piece of spaghetti, they entered Jack’s circulatory system through an artery in his groin, travelling all the way up to the malformation in his brain by following a map of blood flow created using an angiogram – an X-ray test that uses a special dye and camera. Dr. Heran’s team used a type of intravascular crazy glue to close off some of the problematic arterial-vein connections.

The operation was an immediate success. Blood flow in his brain became normal, reducing the stress on his heart. The second treatment, performed the same way when he was 18 months old, had even greater benefits.

“He had basically eight hours of brain surgery on the Friday,” says Grant. “After which they have him sedated, because of the incision in the groin, and because you can’t tell a two-year-old not to kick around, and then he’s in the playroom on Saturday

feature story

SAVING JACKInterventional radiology and intensive care

(left) Corin Cao; (bottom right) Dr. Bruce Verchere

by rebeCCA KeIllor

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morning.” By the afternoon Jack was home playing hockey.Dr. Heran says the role of interventional radiology is growing as

people look for simpler, safer and faster treatments that have chil-dren leaving the hospital sooner, and experiencing faster recoveries.

Interventional radiology is part of the Special Procedures Suites in the new hospital, for which A Night of Miracles is fundrais-ing. The area will share the fourth floor with the Hudson Family Pediatric Intensive Care Unit. Having these two areas situated on the same floor will ensure kids like Jack can be closely monitored from the moment they leave the procedure room.

Dr. Heran’s team will benefit from access to the equipment they need in a space designed specifically for the complex procedures they perform. The need to transfer children to an adult facility for certain procedures will be eliminated.

Jack is now off all medication and does not suffer from devel-opmental delays. Both Dr. Sanatani and Dr. Heran will continue to monitor him to determine if additional treatment is required as he grows. Their goal is to cure him of this condition.

Jack will start preschool next year and at his recent preschool orientation Ursula watched him run up and down the gym floor. She recalled Dr. Sanatani’s words at Jack’s last checkup: “He told us we can treat him like a normal child,” she says. “Which was amazing.”

saying Jack had gone downhill fast. “I found him in the PICU,” he says. “And they had managed to stabilize him, but at that point they were at a loss to explain why his heart was failing.”

Imaging tests including ultrasounds, CT scans, and MRIs of Jack’s heart and brain revealed his problem. At six months of age, he was the first child to be treated for this condition in BC. Prior to that, kids were flown to Toronto for treatment. But the diverse medical expertise available to children at the hospital today make interventional radiology procedures like Jack’s possible in-prov-ince.

Avoiding the risks associated with transporting sick kids across the country is a huge win, says Dr. Heran, whose team performed the minimally invasive procedure on Jack. With a tiny catheter about the diameter of a piece of spaghetti, they entered Jack’s circulatory system through an artery in his groin, travelling all the way up to the malformation in his brain by following a map of blood flow created using an angiogram – an X-ray test that uses a special dye and camera. Dr. Heran’s team used a type of intravascular crazy glue to close off some of the problematic arterial-vein connections.

The operation was an immediate success. Blood flow in his brain became normal, reducing the stress on his heart. The second treatment, performed the same way when he was 18 months old, had even greater benefits.

“He had basically eight hours of brain surgery on the Friday,” says Grant. “After which they have him sedated, because of the incision in the groin, and because you can’t tell a two-year-old not to kick around, and then he’s in the playroom on Saturday

For a sneak peek at Level 4 of the new

BC Children’s Hospital, scan the QR code or visit

bcchf.ca/annual-report

SAVING JACK

(left) Corin Cao; (bottom right) Dr. Bruce Verchere

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At just 16, Serena Bonneville was living a life consistent with her Type A personality.

It was just a year ago that she was a gifted athlete who so excelled in soccer, in and out of school, that she helped lead her team to the provincials. Teachers and peers voted her the “head girl” of her student body. She was an active organizer in school activities and starred in the school production of Doubt, play-ing the role of the stern Sister Aloysius Beauvier, a role made famous by Meryl Streep. She excelled in her studies and was eyeing academic and sports programs at some of the region’s best universities.

Then came a brutal interruption. Last fall, she suffered through a patch of fatigue, chills and minor illness that slowed her down – on and off the soccer pitch. After a bout with pneu-monia, she thought that was the end of it.

“I tried to get back into sports but I could never get back the skill and energy I had,” she says. “It was almost like I was going in reverse.” Then came fatigue, night sweats, chills. “I didn’t tell my parents, because I thought, ‘I don’t even have time for this.’”

Finally, doctors’ visits revealed the worst. On October 10, 2013, Serena was diagnosed with leukemia. Serena had to leave much of her active, hyper-social life behind for months of treat-ment at BC Children’s Hospital.

Some nine months later, after a series of inpatient stays and outpatient visits, she’s processed the experience with elo-quence and depth on her blog, Breeding Optimism. Serena’s now in maintenance mode, armed with medications and ready to resume a life that could only be considered the “new normal.”

“I have full confidence that Serena will go back to doing every-thing she has been able to do before her diagnosis,” says Dr. Sheila Pritchard, the oncologist who oversaw Serena’s treatment.

About 850 Canadian children and teens will develop can-cer this year and 100 or more of them will be in BC. For teens like Serena, fighting cancer will only get easier with plans to transform oncology treatment areas at BC Children’s, current-ly spread across three floors of the existing facility, into one entire floor in the new hospital – the Children’s Cancer Centre, a 27-bedroom space where nurses and specialists connect easily with their patients.

Dr. Pritchard says she’s looking forward to seeing teenage

feature story

Caring and CONNECTINGA new Children’s Cancer Centre will meet teens’ needsby MARY FRANCES HILL

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At just 16, Serena Bonneville was living a life consistent with her Type A personality.

It was just a year ago that she was a gifted athlete who so excelled in soccer, in and out of school, that she helped lead her team to the provincials. Teachers and peers voted her the “head girl” of her student body. She was an active organizer in school activities and starred in the school production of Doubt, play-ing the role of the stern Sister Aloysius Beauvier, a role made famous by Meryl Streep. She excelled in her studies and was eyeing academic and sports programs at some of the region’s best universities.

Then came a brutal interruption. Last fall, she suffered through a patch of fatigue, chills and minor illness that slowed her down – on and off the soccer pitch. After a bout with pneu-monia, she thought that was the end of it.

“I tried to get back into sports but I could never get back the skill and energy I had,” she says. “It was almost like I was going in reverse.” Then came fatigue, night sweats, chills. “I didn’t tell my parents, because I thought, ‘I don’t even have time for this.’”

Finally, doctors’ visits revealed the worst. On October 10, 2013, Serena was diagnosed with leukemia. Serena had to leave much of her active, hyper-social life behind for months of treat-ment at BC Children’s Hospital.

Some nine months later, after a series of inpatient stays and outpatient visits, she’s processed the experience with elo-quence and depth on her blog, Breeding Optimism. Serena’s now in maintenance mode, armed with medications and ready to resume a life that could only be considered the “new normal.”

“I have full confidence that Serena will go back to doing every-thing she has been able to do before her diagnosis,” says Dr. Sheila Pritchard, the oncologist who oversaw Serena’s treatment.

About 850 Canadian children and teens will develop can-cer this year and 100 or more of them will be in BC. For teens like Serena, fighting cancer will only get easier with plans to transform oncology treatment areas at BC Children’s, current-ly spread across three floors of the existing facility, into one entire floor in the new hospital – the Children’s Cancer Centre, a 27-bedroom space where nurses and specialists connect easily with their patients.

Dr. Pritchard says she’s looking forward to seeing teenage

patients like Serena thrive in an environment that pairs aggres-sive treatment with care that meets their unique needs.

While teens deal with a new sense of vanity and self-con-sciousness, many of their emotional needs seem paradoxical, but they’re essential to growth.

They thirst for connection, but need privacy; they need to feel nurtured and pampered in the family fold, but at the same time they crave space and must be given the freedom to step away from adults and spend time with their peers, says Dr. Pritchard.

BC Children’s Hospital planners considered the unique lives of teens in the layout of the new Children’s Cancer Centre. Whereas lounges for parents and younger children offer a space to relax or play, a teen lounge will give older patients a space for their own pursuits, to connect with their peers, explore art, music, or just hunker down to play a video game.

To Serena, that “me time” in the hospital is essential to recovery. “You lose a lot of normality in your life during treat-ment. It’s so easy to get lost in the transition between life before [your diagnosis] and your new life.”

The redeveloped Children’s Cancer Centre strikes a balance between easy comfort and clinical treatment. The Capstone Mining Corp. Oncology Clinic will be designed so that the exam and treat-ment rooms will surround a central hub for medical support and a play area. The centre’s status on the eighth floor (the building’s highest level) keeps oncology patients at a safe distance from other areas that could compromise their vulnerable immune systems. Private, well-equipped rooms in the Oncology Inpatient Unit, sup-ported by the Chinese-Canadian community, will have plenty of natural light and comfortable beds for overnight family stays.

Today, Serena is looking forward to finishing her studies and heading off to the University of British Columbia or University of Victoria (she’s been accepted to both universities).

Even when she’s back to normal — or close to normal — she says she’ll never be the same. That’s a good thing. “I’ll get back to my life gradually, but my health and my family — all the things that were secondary in my busy, non-stop life before — will totally be number one.”

To donate to BC Children’s Hospital,

scan the QR code or visit

bcchf.ca/socdonate

A new Children’s Cancer Centre will meet teens’ needs

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speaking of people

Transforming Care for BC KidsMore than 80,000 individuals, corporations and organizations in BC, including the Overwaitea Food Group and Save-On-Foods, lead benefactor of Child Health BC, and Teck Resources Limited, stepped up to help build a new BC Children’s Hospital and transform the delivery of care to children closer to their homes. Blueprints for the Teck Acute Care Centre, the heart of the new hospital, were revealed in March 2014 and construction began in May. Thank you to each and every person and organization who donated to the campaign – you’ve made this possible. Your support will give BC’s kids the specialized care they need for many years to come. To find out more or to view the new hospital plans, go to www.bcchf.ca/annual-report[1] rendering of the Teck acute Care Centre, now under construction

djavad mowafaghian Child Care CenTre opening On April 24 BC Children’s Hospital Foundation hosted the official opening of The Djavad Mowafaghian Child Care Centre. Dr. Mowafaghian, his friends and family, foundation and hospital representatives and Health Minister Terry Lake celebrated the grand opening. Guests enjoyed a special choir performance by Grade 1 students from West Point Grey Academy and then explored the unique features of the YMCA-managed facility. The centre opened its doors to 49 children on May 1, 2014, and the first class will enjoy a fun-filled summer in their beautiful new space![2] hamid eshghi, health minister Terry lake, dr. djavad mowafaghian, david podmore and Teri nicholas at the djavad mowafaghian Child Care Centre opening

CongraTulaTions are in orderCongratulations to Dr. Djavad Mowafaghian, philanthropist and friend to BC Children’s Hospital, who has been appointed to the nation’s highest honour, the Order of Canada. BC Children’s Hospital Foundation board member and capital campaign chair Don Lindsay, has been named a 2014 recipient of the BC Community Achievement Award and the Order of BC. BC Children’s Hospital Foundation’s board chair David Podmore has also been appointed to the Order of BC alongside Gloria Cuccione, a longtime supporter of the founda-tion and advocate for cancer research, and Aubrey Tingle, who was instrumental in establishing a strong research program at BC Chil-dren’s. Each of these individuals has made an outstanding contribution to the promotion of child health in BC and beyond.[3] don lindsay with hospital patients at the Teck acute Care Centre groundbreaking

Campaign finaleDarrell Jones, president of the Overwaitea Food Group (OFG) and Save-On-Foods, and Jim Pattison, chairman & CEO of The Jim Pattison Group, joined leadership donors to celebrate the suc-cessful completion of the Campaign for BC Children at a campaign finale event at the Shaw Tower on May 8. OFG and Save-On-Foods, lead benefactor of Child Health BC, donated $20 million to the campaign. The Jim Pattison Broadcast Group supported the cam-paign as a media partner, promoting the hospital on 21 stations across BC. Shaw-owned Global BC was the campaign’s first media partner, promoting the campaign through a televised launch in 2008, regular Health Headlines and event coverage on the news through-out the campaign, and announcing its completion last November.[4] darrell jones and jim pattison

21

Campaign for BC Children comes to a close

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healthy habits

For some parents the decision whether or not to immunize your child is becom-ing harder to make due to a rise of con-cern around vaccine safety. The truth of the matter is that vaccines are more thoroughly researched than any drug on the market and they’re safer now than they have ever been. In fact, vaccines have saved more lives in Canada than any other health innovation in the last 50 years.

Vaccine Safety The Vaccine Evaluation Center (VEC) located in the Child & Family Research Institute (CFRI) at BC Children’s Hospital has played an important role in vaccine safety. The VEC has completed over 225 studies over the course of 25 years that have contributed toward the develop-ment of new vaccines, vaccine safety, and refining public immunization programs. Ample evidence shows that the benefits of immunizing greatly outweigh the risks.

This article shares information about four vaccines you should know about. These vaccinations not only protect your child, but also those who are at most risk and aren’t able to receive the vaccine.

HPV Vaccine The human papillomavirus (HPV) is the most common sexually transmit-ted infection in North America and the most common cause of cervical cancer in women. Each year in Canada, cervi-cal cancer kills nearly 400 women. The HPV vaccine is very effective at provid-ing immunity against the infection and therefore can prevent cervical cancer. A recent CFRI-led study found that two doses of the HPV vaccine raised an immune response in girls similar to that of three doses. If research proves over the long term that two doses remain as effective as three doses, using this approach would mean fewer needles

It’s Your Best Shotby danielle clark

Vaccination:

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and a cost saving for the health-care system.

Measles VaccineMeasles is a highly contagious vac-cine-preventable disease that’s poten-tially devastating for vulnerable people. A single measles vaccination at 12 or 15 months protects 85 to 95 per cent of children. With a second dose, protection is almost 100 per cent. If a child does catch measles, there is a 10 per cent chance that they will end up in the hos-pital with significant complications, such as pneumonia or convulsions; the vaccine prevents this.

Influenza Vaccine Influenza, also known as the flu, is an infection of the airways caused by the influenza virus. It spreads from person to person through coughing, sneezing or face-to-face contact. Up to 25 per cent of children get the flu each win-ter. The influenza vaccine prevents you from getting the flu, and protects those who aren’t able to receive the vaccine. An injected vaccine is given to infants (under two years old) and adults; a nasal spray vaccine is preferred for children 2-16 years old as it is very effective. Both forms of this vaccine are very safe.

Pertussis Vaccine (Whooping Cough)Pertussis, also known as whooping cough, is a very contagious disease affecting the lungs and airways. The major symptom is severe spells of cough-ing followed by a whooping sound before the next breath. Whooping cough is most commonly spread by coughing and sneezing. Whooping cough can occur at any age, but the highest risk and greatest concern is in young babies. The vaccine is highly effective but repeated boosters are needed to renew protection of chil-dren, teens and adults.

Immunize Canada AppIt’s now easier than ever for Canadians to stay informed and keep track of their immunizations. Immunize Canada has an app that records immunizations and pro-vides access to recommended immuniza-tion schedules, information about immu-nizations, as well as useful tools such as appointment reminders. To download the app and/or find out more, visit Immunize Canada online at www.immunize.ca

FOR MORE INFORMATION:This article was compiled with the help of Ashley Cosgrove, research assistant at the Vaccine Evaluation Center within the Child & Family Reseach Institute. If you have any questions or concerns about any of these vaccines, you can contact her at [email protected] or go online: Vaccine Evaluation Center: www.vec.med.ubc.caChild & Family Research Institute: www.cfri.ca

For some parents the decision whether or not to immunize your child is becom-ing harder to make due to a rise of con-cern around vaccine safety. The truth of the matter is that vaccines are more thoroughly researched than any drug on the market and they’re safer now than they have ever been. In fact, vaccines have saved more lives in Canada than any other health innovation in the last 50 years.

Vaccine Safety The Vaccine Evaluation Center (VEC) located in the Child & Family Research Institute (CFRI) at BC Children’s Hospital has played an important role in vaccine safety. The VEC has completed over 225 studies over the course of 25 years that have contributed toward the develop-ment of new vaccines, vaccine safety, and refining public immunization programs. Ample evidence shows that the benefits of immunizing greatly outweigh the risks.

This article shares information about four vaccines you should know about. These vaccinations not only protect your child, but also those who are at most risk and aren’t able to receive the vaccine.

HPV Vaccine The human papillomavirus (HPV) is the most common sexually transmit-ted infection in North America and the most common cause of cervical cancer in women. Each year in Canada, cervi-cal cancer kills nearly 400 women. The HPV vaccine is very effective at provid-ing immunity against the infection and therefore can prevent cervical cancer. A recent CFRI-led study found that two doses of the HPV vaccine raised an immune response in girls similar to that of three doses. If research proves over the long term that two doses remain as effective as three doses, using this approach would mean fewer needles

Test your immunization knowledge

1. What percentage of the school population must be vaccinated against measles to prevent the spread of the disease? a) 50% b) 80% c) 90%

2. How many doses of measles vaccine does it take to get almost 100 per cent efficacy? a) 1 b) 2 c) 3

3. What is the best protection against the flu? a) The flu vaccine b) Washing your hands c) Staying out of close contact with children

4. Which age group is at highest risk and greatest concern for whooping cough? a) Infants b) Teenagers c) Seniors d) All of the above

5. Who is at increased risk of complications from vaccine-preventable diseases? a) People with asthma b) People with compromised immune sys-tems, including those with cancer, cystic fibrosis or HIV c) Babies and children under two years old d) All of the above

Answers: 1c, 2b, 3a, 4a, 5d

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p18-19_What'sUp_ChildrenSpeak.indd 18 14-07-07 1:47 PM

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$2,563,717.90

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With the support of more than 80,000 donors, the Campaign for BC Children has reached its $200-million goal. Thanks to you, BC’s children will have a new hospital in 2017! Go online now to see the 2013/14 annual report and share this success.

www.bcchf.ca/annual-report

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speaking of children - summer 2014

Documents

bcs children

sunny hill foundation

sunny hill health centre

public health units

new hospitalwww

mary frances hill

editorial content of

jeff vinnick