Why it's high time for a national vaccine registry in Canada

Canada needs a national vaccine registry—that's one key lesson learned from the COVID-19 pandemic that public health experts want to act on. This and other lessons—including that community connections improve vaccine uptake and the importance of a refreshed healthcare workforce—were discussed during a plenary session at the Canadian Immunization Conference, held in Ottawa from April 25 to 27. With a national vaccine registry, people would have a handy record of their vaccination history in their own hands. Patients would know what vaccinations they've had, and healthcare providers could easily identify gaps in their patient’s immunization register, said Dr. Teresa Tam, chief public health officer of Canada. “We’re missing a lot of chances of getting those routine vaccines,” Dr. Tam said Having a standard vaccination record would also allow immunizers to offer more than one vaccination per visit. Dr. Tam said she would like to see a national vaccine registry in place before she retires. There are some barriers to implementation, but “there is political will, and that is important,” she said. The Pan-Canadian Data Strategy is a start to the process of getting a registry. Read: ‘Catch up with confidence:’ National Immunization Awareness Week is focusing on routine jabs In a related lesson, with the COVID-19 vaccination campaign, “we learned the power of grassroots communities,” Dr. Tam said. Both she and Jean-Yves Duclos, the federal minister of health emphasized that Indigenous communities were especially adept at identifying their communities’ needs and successfully rolling out the COVID-19 vaccination programs. In vaccinating against COVID-19, Toronto had the community ambassador program, with more than 200 partner agencies. Toronto Public Health trained more than 720 people to become a trusted voice on vaccination in their community. These ambassadors are part of “vaccine engagement teams,” operating in geographic or population-specific areas. The data suggest this level of community engagement works. When Toronto put a focus on specific neighbourhoods, there was an average increase of 19% in COVID-19 dose-1 vaccination uptake between June 2021 and April 2022, said Dr. Na-Koshie Lamptey, deputy medical officer of health for Toronto. Asked how physicians can contribute to community-based advocacy for routine immunizations, Dr. Lamptey said that going forward, doctor should go out into the community where people gather, where they work and play, and listen with empathy. “We need to know what people are thinking,” she said. Physicians can ask “what’s missing and what can we do better.” Being a vaccine advocate in the community may also mean answering questions at town halls or other gatherings. Often seeing patients one-on-one doesn’t allow time for all the questions, particularly when it comes to vaccinations, Dr. Lamptey said. Spreading accurate information at a community level could help answer some of these questions about routine vaccinations. Read: What is the real impact of routine childhood immunization on reducing preventable diseases? When speaking to communities, don’t skimp on the information. Dr. Tam noted the public now expects to get info on safety, efficacy, adverse events and more when it comes to vaccines. “They want us to explain the complexities of the programs that are being put in front of them,” she said, adding that health providers must not underestimate the capacity of individuals to understand vaccine science. That information should also be readily available to immunizers. During the COVID-19 vaccination program there were specialized phone lines where physicians and immunizers could call with questions. Dr. Lamptey said it would be a great idea if that continued with routine vaccinations. Additional information about vaccines should include a way to look up if vaccines are still safe after a temperature excursion in the cold-chain storage. This is currently readily available for COVID-19 vaccines, but not for other vaccines, a vaccination expert for the Canadian Armed Forces noted. Dr. Tam and Dr. Lamptey said that manufacturers should be encouraged to provide this. “We really can’t let the gains during the pandemic to go to waste,” Dr. Lamptey said. Ensuring there are sustainable ways to get good outcomes without burning out the healthcare workforce is another lesson learned, Dr. Lamptey said. This must be an intentional effort, by arranging different schedules so service can be continuous without exhausting the team. It could include allowing staff to work non-standard hours, insisting on scheduled breaks and making sure staff have time to decompress. It can also include cross-training immunizers so they can deliver more than type of vaccine. Some of the lessons learned from the COVID-19 pandemic have already been tested with the mpox vaccination campaign, which involved a community-based approach, noted Dr. Lamptey. Read: New guidance available on how to assess and manage pain in children

Why it's high time for a national vaccine registry in Canada

Register for free access or login.

Related Topics