Vaccine Information for Primary Care

COVID-19 Vaccines

Information on COVID-19 vaccines may be found on our COVID-19 resources for health professionals webpage.

Publicly Funded Immunizations

The Ministry of Health’s publicly funded immunization schedule for Ontario provides a list of vaccines and the recommended vaccine schedule.

Publicly Funded Immunization Schedule

Influenza Vaccine 

The implementation package can be found at The Ministry of Health’s Universal Influenza Immunization Program (UIIP). The UIIP offers influenza vaccine free of charge each year to all individuals six months of age and older who live, work or go to school in Ontario. For questions/concerns regarding the 2021/2022 UIIP, email the ministry at UIIP.MOH@ontario.ca

The following vaccines are available this season:

  • Quadrivalent Inactivated Vaccine (QIV) (6 months of age and older)
    • FluLaval Tetra, Fluzone Quadrivalent
  • Adjuvanted Trivalent Inactivated Vaccine (TIV-adj) (65 years of age and older)
    • Fluad
  • Fluzone High Dose (QIV-HD) will be available to health care providers the week of October 25
  • Flumist will not be available in Ontario this flu season

A friendly reminder that health care providers and individuals at high-risk of complications or hospitalization due to influenza should be prioritized for vaccination. Large-scale community clinics for the general population should be scheduled in November.

NACI Statement on Seasonal Influenza Vaccine 2022-23

Influenza immunization toolkit  

The toolkit provides a collection of resources that can be used to promote annual influenza immunization amongst health care workers and facility staff.
 
Adverse Events After Immunization (AEFI) 

If a patient/client experiences an adverse event after immunization, Waterloo Region health care providers are required to report an adverse event following an immunization.

  • Report adverse events using the Adverse Event Following Immunization Form and fax it to Region of Waterloo Public Health at 519-883-2248 or submit online through the Ocean platform integrated with your EMR. The AEFI reporting form has been updated to include adverse events of special interest for COVID-19 vaccine.
  • Please do not direct your patient/client to call Region of Waterloo Public Health. We are not currently accepting self-referred AEFI reports.

Adverse Event Following Immunization Reporting For Health Care Providers In Ontario Fact Sheet (Public Health Ontario) 
Vaccine fact sheets 
Vaccine order and forms 

To sign up as a new site or add a new fridge, complete a Holding Point Application from the request a form tool. Learn more at Vaccine Storage and Handling Resources for Health Care Providers.

To access any of the forms listed below, please use our Request a form tool. 

  • Biological Returns Form
  • Child Care Centres Pre-Employment Health Form
  • Contingency Plan for Planned or Unexpected Electricity Disruption
  • Holding Point Application
  • Immunization Assessment Plan
  • Influenza Immunization Decision Making Tool
  • Request for Immunization Schedule Assessment and Plan
  • Vaccine Storage and Handling Form
  • Varicella Immunity Confirmation Form 

Vaccine pick-up or delivery

Health Care Providers (HCP) must now pick up vaccines at a Public Health office (Waterloo or Cambridge) OR arrange for courier, at your cost, for vaccine delivery.

Vaccines must be picked up at the Public Health Unit or delivered via medical courier according to the Zone delivery schedule:

  • Zone 1: Order by noon on Wednesday – Delivery/Pick-up on Monday
  • Zone 2: Order by noon on Thursday – Delivery/Pick-up on Tuesday
  • Zone 3: Order by noon on Friday – Delivery/Pick-up on Wednesday
  • Zone 4: Order by noon on Monday – Delivery/Pick-up on Thursday (Cambridge offices will pick-up on Friday)
  • Zone 5: Order by noon on Tuesday – Delivery/Pick-up on Friday

If you are unsure of which Zone your facility is in, please call (519) 575-4400 ext. 5930 or email

phpidsvaccineinventorynurses@regionofwaterloo.ca

  • Vaccine Pick-up at either Public Health Office (Waterloo or Cambridge):
  • HCP choosing to pick-up, will do so on their designated zone day. Orders received after the deadline, will be processed the following week.
  • Pick-ups at 99 Regina Street South, 2nd Floor, Waterloo between 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday-Thursday
  • Pick-ups at 150 Main Street, Cambridge between 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on Fridays (for Cambridge offices in Zones 4 and 5)
  • Requirement: A cooler, frozen ice packs, refrigerated ice blankets, and a min/max thermometer conditioned between 2°C and 8°C upon vaccine pick-up
Vaccine information 
Resources to assist with assessing records 

Cold Chain Incident follow up

Health Care Providers interested in storing publicly funded vaccine
Resources to assist with vaccine storage and handling 
Presentations that can be provided by Public Health staff 
  • Assessing and Administering Immunization Schedule
    • Topics include: review of eligibility, immunization schedules, dosing, intervals and antigens
  • Vaccine Administration Practices
    • Topics include: client assessment, rights of immunization, immunization sites, client positioning, pain management techniques, vaccine preparation, administration, and disposal and adverse events following immunization
  • Vaccine Storage and Handling for Health Care Providers
    • Topics include: cold chain responsibilities, temperature monitoring, equipment, cold chain incidents, contingency planning

Please contact us at 519-575-4400 ext 5505 for further information about these presentations.

 

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