Brantford, ON – On August 8, 2016, the Brant County Health Unit informed the Information and Privacy Commissioner of Ontario of an unauthorized access of 494 records containing personal health information. A member of the public informed the Health Unit of the accessibility of the data through the website.
The data records affected were reported through the Health Unit’s e-munization online reporting tool between July 6, 2015 and October 30, 2015. The Brant County Health Unit has no evidence that the information has been used for dishonest purposes, but this incident is being taken very seriously. The error occurred as the result of one export of data, and steps have been taken to ensure the safety and security of information recorded through e-munization online reporting tool. The incident is limited to these immunization records.
“We regret that this unfortunate incident has occurred and we apologize to those families affected,” says Dr. Malcolm Lock, Medical Officer of Health. “We have taken action to protect our data and prevent this from re-occurring.”
The Brant County Health Unit will be making every effort to contact the individuals affected to advise them of the incident and let them know what steps they can take to help protect their personal health information.
“On behalf of our Health Unit, I want to reassure residents that we are serious about protecting their personal health information. As the Medical Officer of Health, I will ensure that every effort is taken so that we meet the expectations of Brantford and Brant County residents in keeping their information safe and secure,” says Dr. Lock.
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