We want to make sure families and our community have the resources they need to be informed.
If you or your child is ill, there are many different health care resources available.
In order to ensure the timeliest care, the following is recommended:
Some doctor’s offices offer extended and/or weekend hours, as well as virtual appointments. Check in with yours to see what they offer and how they can best care for you and your family.
Our Community Health Clinics (CHC) provide care for individuals with urgent, non-life-threatening conditions. Located in Stouffville and Uxbridge, the clinics offer same-day and next-day appointments.
Our Community Health Clinics and all their services are offered through a partnership with Ontario Health and Eastern York Region North Durham Ontario Health Team.
For clinic hours, online booking, and more information, visit the CHC webpage.
The Central Region Virtual Urgent Care Clinic (VUCC) provides adult and paediatric patients with timely access to virtual care with a nurse practitioner for urgent non-life threatening conditions.
For clinic hours, online booking, and more information, visit the VUCC webpage.
Connect online with a registered nurse and find health care services close to home. Service available 24/7.
Below is additional information on how to protect yourself and family, tips to care for children with respiratory illnesses, when should you take a child to our Emergency Departments, and additional information about respiratory illnesses, such as COVID-19, influenza (flu), and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV).
Follow these prevention measures to help prevent getting sick in the first place:
Wear a mask (and have your child wear a mask)if you’re experiencing cold or flu-like symptoms
Get the flu shot and keep COVID-19 vaccinations up-to-date
Wash hands often and thoroughly or use hand sanitizer when soap and water are not available
Stay home, and keep your child home, when unwell
Vaccinations remain the best form of protection against COVID-19 and influenza (flu). We encourage anyone who is eligible and has not received their full dose of vaccination, including boosters, to do so as soon as possible to help protect themselves and their community.
Tips to care for children with respiratory illnesses
Most respiratory illness in children can be managed at home without prescription medications. Try to keep your child comfortable and treat their symptoms. Water, soups, sports drinks, and even popsicles can help your child get enough fluids. If your baby only drinks breastmilk or formula, that is enough for them and they don’t need additional water. Many children will be less hungry when they are sick and not interested in eating. It’s okay if your child eats less solid foods for a few days.
Here are some ways to support your child’s symptoms at home if they have COVID-19, influenza (flu), or respiratory syncytial virus (RSV):
Fevers can help activate your immune system and fight illness
If your child feels fine, there is no need to treat a fever
Focus less on the actual temperature of your child (there is no link with severity of illness and degree of fever) but rather on how your child is behaving
Children that remain lethargic or listless even when you treat the fever should be assessed
Those that bounce back when the fever is treated with medicine can be managed at home
If your child is fussy or uncomfortable, treat with over-the-counter medicines such as acetaminophen (Tylenol) or ibuprofen (Advil)
If your child is over three months of age and has a fever that lasts for more than three days, they should see a health care provider
If your child is under three months of age and has a fever, they should be assessed by a health care provider
This is usually a symptom of viral illness, especially if your child also has cold symptoms and does not require antibiotics
You can reduce discomfort with warm compresses and artificial tears
Use saline rinsing sprays, a humidifier, or a nasal aspirator/snot sucker
Most ear infections are also viral and usually go away on their own in two-to-three days
Your child should see a health care provider if their earache lasts more than 48-72 hours, if there is discharge from the ear or if your child has had more than two-to-three ear infections in the last year
A humidifier or steam from a shower may help
Warm drinks can help soothe the throat and so can a spoonful of honey for children over one year old
Don’t give over-the-counter cough and cold medicines to children younger than six years old
If the cough sounds like a bark and is worse at night, it is likely a croup cough and cool air can really help. Bundle up yourself and child and go outside into the cool air
If your child is struggling with breathing, you should visit our Emergency Departments
Otherwise, plan to follow-up with a health care provider as there is an excellent single dose treatment (Dexamethasone) for croup cough that will help reduce the chances of a second night of coughing and a possible visit to our Emergency Departments
When should you take a child to our Emergency Departments
Our Emergency Departments are open, safe, and available to care for those who need immediate care. If you have a serious medical concern, please come to our Emergency Departments.
No one knows their child better than their parents or guardian so please seek care if you are worried about their health. Unsure if your child is in need of emergency care? Here are some general examples:
If you are worried that your child is seriously ill
If your baby younger than three months old has a fever
If you child is struggling to breathe or breathing faster than normal
If you are concerned that your child is at risk of dehydration or is dehydrated
Use the the tabs below to see specific information related to COVID-19, influenza (flu), and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV).
Getting vaccinated and staying up to date with your COVID-19 vaccinations is the best way to remain protected against the COVID-19.
Vaccination may not always prevent symptomatic infection but it will help reduce severity if a person does become infected and decreases the risk of developing post COVID-19 condition (commonly known as long COVID).
Who can get vaccinated
COVID-19 vaccines are available to everybody aged six months and older in Ontario.
Where you can get vaccinated
Eligible people aged six months and older can book an appointment through:
Provincial Vaccine Contact Centre at 1-833-943-3900, available in more than 300 languages, Monday to Friday (excluding holidays) from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Eastern time (TTY for people who are deaf, hearing-impaired, or speech-impaired: 1-866-797-0007)
Public health units may also offer additional options for vaccination for children aged six months to four years old, such as walk-in clinics, which will not be on the COVID‑19 vaccination portal. For information on local options, please visit your local public health unit website.
When you should consult your doctor before getting the vaccine
Contact your doctor or health care provider if you have questions about getting the vaccine or if the person getting vaccinated:
Is immunocompromised due to disease or treatment (to discuss optimal timing for vaccination)
Has had a severe allergic reaction after a COVID-19 vaccination or has an allergy to a component of the COVID-19 vaccine
Learn about Ontario’s COVID-19 vaccination program and how to book a vaccine.
Influenza (flu) is a respiratory virus that circulates most frequently in the fall and winter. Influenza spreads from person-to-person through coughing, sneezing, or having face-to-face contact. It can cause mild to severe respiratory disease. While anyone can get influenza, the very young, the elderly, and people with certain medical conditions are at higher risk of complications.
Vaccinations remain the best form of protection against the flu. We encourage anyone who is eligible to do so as soon as possible to help protect themselves and their community.
Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is a virus that infects the lungs and airways. RSV can affect anyone of any age, but it is most common in infancy and early childhood. Almost all children will have an RSV infection by the age of two to three years. RSV infections tend to occur from fall to spring in Canada.
RSV is usually a mild disease that goes away on its own and does not require medical attention or treatment.
What are the symptoms of RSV
Cough
Runny nose
Fever
Wheezing
Decrease in appetite and energy
Irritability
How does RSV spread
Touching droplets containing the virus after someone coughs or sneezes
Being close (less than two meters apart) to someone with the infection who is coughing or sneezing
Touching something that has the virus, such as toys, door handles, furniture, or countertops
How is RSV treated
As long as your child is breathing comfortably, their skin does not look blue, and they are drinking and urinating as usual, you can take care of your child at home. In most cases, it takes a week or two for children to get better.
RSV immunization for newborns and babies under 24 months old
During the RSV season (from November 2024 to April 2025) postpartum and paediatric patients at Oak Valley Health will have the opportunity to receive nirsevimab (Beyfortus) immunization.
