Overview

• Halton Region Public Health identified improper practices involving unsterile needles and multidose vials at the Halton Family Health Centre Walk-In Clinic.
• The exposure window spans Jan. 1, 2019 to July 17, 2025 and applies only to the walk-in portion, not the affiliated family physician offices.
• Patients who received local anesthesia for minor procedures are advised to get tested for hepatitis B, hepatitis C and HIV, with officials describing the transmission risk as low.
• Investigators say the same needle was not reused continuously but warn that accessing multidose vials without sterile equipment each time can lead to cross-contamination.
• The College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario says it will investigate upon a formal complaint as some patients report learning of the risk through social channels and the clinic has not responded to media inquiries.