The Dose

Health Canada approved a new COVID-19 bivalent vaccine booster from Moderna earlier this month. The updated shot builds on the original vaccine by adding protection specifically against the Omicron BA.1 variant. Dr. Lynora Saxinger, infectious diseases specialist at the University of Alberta, shares what you need to know as the boosters roll out.

The number of kids up-to-date on their routine immunizations has been dropping. Meanwhile, vaccine-preventable diseases have reappeared, with a confirmed case of polio in the U.S. The virus has also been detected in wastewater in the U.K. and Israel. Dr. Sloane Freeman, a pediatrician at St. Michael's Hospital, shares what she's seeing in her practice — and what parents can do to get their kids caught up.

Balance is crucial to our overall well-being. But it can be challenged at any age, and we start to lose our balance in our 50s. The good news is that simple exercise can help maintain and even restore balance. Lisa Hoffart, a physiotherapist with Canadian Sport Institute Calgary and Group 23 Sports Medicine helps answer: Why is it important to maintain my sense of balance as I age?

Intrauterine devices, also known as IUDs, are a popular form of birth control in this country. This week on The Dose, Dr. Renée Hall, medical director of Kelowna General Hospital's Women’s Services Clinic, shares what you need to know about IUDs.

Mask mandates have been lifted in several provinces, though some hospitals and long term care homes are still insisting on masks. But Omicron and subvariants have not disappeared. So this week we’re asking: What should I do when the mask mandates are lifted? Raywat Deonandan, an epidemiologist and associate professor at the University of Ottawa, helps us navigate.

British Columbia has become the first jurisdiction in Canada to decriminalize the possession of small quantities of illicit drugs like opioids, cocaine and crystal meth. This move is part of a big idea called harm reduction. So how much could drug decriminalization help with harm reduction? Dr. Hakique Virani, an addiction medicine and public health physician in Edmonton, explains.

There are plenty of ads for supplements that supposedly boost our memory. If you’re worried about memory loss, you might be tempted to give them a try. But how well do they work? Dr. Sandra Black, cognitive neurologist at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, has the answer, as well as the latest research on other ways we can boost our memory.

Monkeypox is a viral infection that’s usually found in parts of Africa. But the current outbreak has shown up in countries including the U.K., Spain, Portugal, Australia, the United States and Canada. That’s just one of several things that has doctors puzzled. So this week we’re asking: What do I need to know about monkeypox? We get some clues from Lynora Saxinger, an infectious diseases specialist with the University of Alberta.

More than a dozen possible cases of severe acute hepatitis in children have popped up in Canada and many –including parents and researchers– are trying to figure out why. This week, we speak to Dr. Tehseen Ladha, a pediatrician and assistant professor in the Department of Pediatrics at the University of Alberta.

Running or jogging is said to be one of the best cardio exercises you can do to stay in shape. But it’s not for everyone. This week we spoke with Dr. Jane Thornton, sports medicine physician and Canada Research Chair in Injury Prevention and Physical Activity for Health at Western University, about how running can help us stay healthy, how to start running and proper form.