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Porcupine Health Unit Programs and Services

The response to the COVID-19 pandemic has meant many changes. The Porcupine Health Unit plays a significant role in protecting the health and well-being of our communities during the pandemic. As a result, the health unit has had to reduce many programs and services to focus on COVID-19. We are resuming some of our services, but how we deliver them looks different.

Status of programs and services 

Current as of November 23, 2023

We continue to monitor the situation in our area and across the province to re-assess the delivery of programs and services and will update this page as required.

Check with your local health unit office as not all services are available in each community. Staff is available to answer your questions and to help. Call us at 1-800-461-1818 or your local office to schedule an appointment or to get further information.

Active services: Your Health

  • Dental and visual services
    • In-person appointments available for dental screening, cleaning, and fluoride application
    • Fluoride Varnish Program offered to CDSSAB licensed childcare centres and Early ON Centres throughout the district
    • Dental services: School Screening Program
    • Enrolment in the Healthy Smiles Ontario and the Ontario Seniors Dental Care Program when eligibility criteria is met (by telephone)
    • Vision Services: Senior Kindergarten Vision Screening Program
    • Help in finding a dental provider (by telephone)
  • Immunization Clinics (non-COVID-19)
    • Primary series for babies
    • Adults without primary care provider for Pneumovax, Tetanus and Shingrix
    • Pregnant women for Tdap
    • School immunization for overdue students
    • Grade 7 immunizations
    • Yellow fever vaccinations
  • Harm reduction services
    • Street outreach
    • Naloxone available for pick-up
    • Walk-in harm reduction clinic
    • Community clean-up kits available for pick-up
  • Sexual health clinic
    • By appointment only

Active services: Your Family

  • Canada Prenatal Nutrition Program
    • Virtual visits
    • Vouchers provided by mail or pick-up
  • Healthy Babies Healthy Children Program
  • Infant Feeding
    • Telephone support
    • Breastfeeding clinic

Active services: Your Community

  • Animal bite exposure
    • Ongoing as reported
  • Food handling courses
    • Online course
    • Single-person exams can be completed at the PHU
  • Food premise inspections
    • Inspections ongoing
  • Land control
    • Permits are being provided and inspections are being done weather permitting
  • Personal Service Settings
    • Inspections ongoing
  • Private well water testing
    • Testing kits available for pick-up; Public Health Ontario lab is accepting samples
  • Recreational water testing (e.g., pools, beaches)
    • Inspections and sampling
  • Tobacco/vape inspections
    • Completed on demand

The following services have been paused

  • Car seat inspections
  • Immunization clinics for:
    • Travellers (excluding Yellow Fever vaccinations)
  • In-person Food Handler Courses

What to expect if you have an appointment at our offices

If you have COVID-19 symptoms or have tested positive.

Before coming to the health unit, please:

When coming to our offices:

  • You must sanitize your hands.
  • During your appointment, please wear the medical mask we give you.

Masks are not required when visiting our offices, but we ask that you consider wearing one. 

The following individuals are NOT required to wear a mask:

  • children under the age of 2
  • people who have difficulty breathing
  • people who have difficulty communicating when wearing a mask
  • people who cannot remove their mask without help