Christine Lavalle feels like she’s stuck in a nightmare.
Last week, she discovered on social media that her child may have been exposed to blood-borne infections at a Burlington walk-in clinic after public health revealed the use of unsterile needles for over six years.
“How did this happen?” she asked.
This question is on the minds of some patients who visited Halton Family Health Centre Walk-in Clinic between Jan. 1, 2019 and July 17, 2025, and found out on Wednesday that if they received local anesthesia, they could have been exposed to hepatitis B, hepatitis C, and HIV.
Halton Region Public Health stated that approximately 1,000 patients are affected.
Last spring, Lavalle took her child to the walk-in clinic with a forehead gash from a playground incident.
She mentioned they were seen within half an hour – a doctor numbed her child’s forehead and stitched it up with two stitches. Lavalle felt relieved that they didn’t have to go to the emergency room.
But that relief turned into regret last week when she learned through a community Facebook group about Halton public health’s notice stating it had identified “improper infection prevention and control practices involving the use of unsterile needles with multi-dose vials of local anesthetic medication.” She said she never received any formal notification from public health.
As she waits for more information, she’s jotted down her questions on a sticky note: How could this go on for six years? Are these clinics not regularly inspected? What will happen now? How can I be sure something like this won’t happen again?
The medical officer of health for Halton Region Public Health, Dr. Deepika Lobo, shared that they got a complaint about the clinic on July 10 and began an investigation that same day. According to its website, the public health unit does not routinely inspect medical offices; inspectors only visit if there’s a complaint or during investigations related to reportable diseases.
The College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario (CPSO) hasn’t confirmed whether it’s starting its own investigation but acknowledged awareness of concerns raised by the public health unit. The CPSO investigates only if there’s a formal complaint or issues regarding professional misconduct or incompetence.
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Halton walk-in clinic didn’t respond to request for comment
The public health unit advised patients who received local anesthesia for procedures like stitches, IUD insertions, skin biopsies, lump removals, or joint injections during the specified period get tested for blood-borne infections. While Lobo mentioned that the risk of transmission is low, she emphasized that those potentially exposed should get tested just in case. Dr. Dick Zoutman from Queen’s University explained that this situation likely could’ve been avoided if single-use vials had been used instead of cheaper multi-doses. Zoutman pointed out that lapses are more likely with multi-use vials-those containing multiple doses meant for several uses.</br If a healthcare provider sees another patient needing more anesthesia and then reuses the original needle or syringe on the vial again later for another patient, cross-contamination can occur if someone else is treated afterward using that vial.</br “That’s the risk of using multi-dose vials.. it’s just inviting trouble,” Zoutman said.</br The details surrounding what happened weren’t fully disclosed by public health officials but stated generally that proper infection control practices weren’t followed; as such “the anesthetic medication in multi-dose vials may have been contaminated with blood,” which poses risks for transmitting infections like hepatitis B, hepatitis C and HIV when these vials were reused on other patients.”</br Public Health Ontario advises preferring single-use vials because multi-dose options increase risks associated with blood-borne transmissions.’</br “Patient safety should come before cost when deciding between multi-dose and single-use medication vials,” their guidelines state.’</br The Halton Family Health Centre Walk-in Clinic hasn’t responded to requests seeking comments yet. Not long after learning about these unsafe practices reported in recent days, Lavalle picked up her child early from school so he could undergo testing. Blood test results will be available at an appointment set next week; she has urged them repeatedly requesting quicker answers. While waiting nervously upon receiving news, she’s reached out trying contacting everyone involved including her doctor, Burlington clinic staff , publichealth authorities alongwiththe CPSO. Unfortunately, she claimedthat everyplacehas redirectedher backto another contactpersonwithout gettingany satisfactory answer. Duringthis time filledwith uncertainties, sleep eludesher; thoughtsaboutworst-case scenarios invadeher mind: Whatif herchildmightbe infected?</ br “Why couldn’t it be me?”Source link
