Infectious Diseases

The Infectious Diseases Clinic provides diagnosis, treatment, education and advocacy for children and youth with complex infections. These could be infections acquired from international travel, recurring infections, or chronic, unexplained infections. We also provide clinical follow-up for patients who have serious infections that need management and follow-up after discharge from hospital.  

Please note, this is NOT a rapid access clinic. We see most patients four to twelve weeks after we receive their referral. We sometimes see patients sooner or later depending on case urgency and availability.

The Infectious Disease Clinic works closely with two other clinics at BC Children's Hospital and BC Women's Hospital + Health Centre:

• Family Immunization Clinic
• Oak Tree Clinic

Referral information

You need a referral from a doctor or nurse practitioner for this clinic. For more information on our referral process, visit the infectious diseases referral page.

Please note: If a provider requires an urgent consultation, they should page the infectious disease specialist on call through BC Children's Hospital paging: 604-875-2161.

Appointment details

Preparing for your visit

• Bring your child’s care card
• Allow at least 30 minutes to find parking if you are arriving by car
• Bring a quiet activity for your child to do
• If you need to cancel your child’s appointment, please call our clinic as soon as possible to reschedule. This way we can offer your appointment to another child and family who needs care
• Call our clinic if your child has a new illness such as a fever, cough, vomiting or diarrhea the day before or day of your appointment. We may defer your appointment until your child is recovered

What to expect 

When you arrive at the clinic, check in with the receptionist and present your child’s care card. A nurse will measure and weigh your child or youth, take their vital signs and bring both of you to your clinic room. The nurse may also ask you questions about your child or youth's health, related to the reason for your visit.

A doctor who is learning to be an infectious disease specialist (called a "fellow") will meet with you, take your child or youth's medical history, and examine them. You will then meet with the fellow and the attending infectious diseases doctor to discuss medical options for diagnosing and treating your child or youth's infection, and decide on the best follow-up care.

Doctors may take a swab from an infection while you are in the clinic.

We will sometimes organize follow-up clinic appointments virtually or by phone if you do not need an in-person visit. Talk to your doctor about your preferences for follow-up appointments.

A doctor may need to monitor blood tests if your child or youth is on medications. We may need these at regular intervals while they are taking the medicine. If so, we will give you a laboratory requisition form and instructions on when to do the blood tests. You can choose to have the blood tests done at BC Children’s  Hospital or at your local lab.

The doctor may also need to monitor your child or youth's infection regularly through images such as X-rays, ultrasounds and even MRI or CT scans. If so, your doctor will talk with you about that. They will either give you a requisition form (e.g. X-ray), or our office will organize these appointments for you. The Medical Imaging Department at BC Children's Hospital or your local hospital will notify you of the appointment.

Contact us

Clinics take place every Thursday from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m.

Address:
Infectious Diseases Clinic
Clinic 7, Ambulatory Care Building
4480 Oak Street
Vancouver, BC
V6H 3V4 

Phone: 604-875-2973
Nurse clinician: 604-875-2000, extension 7908 (Tuesday to Thursday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.) 
Fax: 778-504-9801