Information on this page is for Community Vaccine Providers (CVPs) within Island Health, excluding community pharmacists. Community pharmacists access information through the BC Pharmacy Association.
COVID-19 and Influenza vaccines will be easily accessible this season with appointment availability through public health and community pharmacies. Starting in early October, invitations to book an appointment will be sent through the Get Vaccinated system.
Medical Health Officer Newsletter
- Vaccine Management
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- All staff who monitor, handle or administer vaccine must be familiar with the cold chain process and BCCDC Vaccine Management resources
- Vaccine must always be stored between +2°C to +8°C either in a monitored fridge or cooler packed according to BCCDC standards
- Record the minimum, maximum and current vaccine fridge temperatures at the start and end of each day using the BCCDC Fridge Temperature Form
- Vaccine stored in a cooler for ≥4 hours must be monitored with a min/max thermometer
- If vaccine is exposed to any temperature outside +2°C to +8°C, immediately:
- Place vaccine in a bag and label ‘QUARANTINE – DO NOT USE’
- Store bag between +2°C to +8°C in a monitored fridge or cooler packed according to BCCDC standards
- Contact local health unit
- Vaccine Eligibility
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- Vaccine Products
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Quadrivalent Inactivated Influenza Vaccines
Inactivated influenza vaccine is made from inactivated influenza viruses and is administered as an injection (shot). |
| FLUZONE |
Individuals 6 months of age and older |
| FLULAVAL |
Individuals 6 months of age and older |
| FLUZONE HIGH-DOSE |
Individuals 65 years of age and older living in long-term care/assisted living facilities or living in First Nations communities |
Trivalent Inactivated Influenza Vaccines
Inactivated influenza vaccine is made from inactivated influenza viruses and is administered as an injection (shot). |
| FLUAD |
Individuals 65 years of age and older living in the community |
- Ordering Vaccine
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COVID-19 & Influenza Vaccine Order Form for Community Vaccine Providers
COVID-19 & Influenza Vaccine Order Form for Community Health Services
Start placing vaccine orders the week of October 3, 2023 for distribution the following week.
First Order: only request anticipated vaccine doses needed for the first two weeks
Subsequent Orders: place as needed taking into account the shorter vaccine expiry date for COVID-19 vaccine. When submitting a subsequent order, doses on hand must be recorded on the vaccine order form. Forms with incomplete information, including doses on hand, will result in a delay in orders being filled as public health will need to follow-up to request missing information. Allow at least 3 working days (Monday to Friday) to fill your order.
Influenza Vaccine Distribution Plan
- Public health receives regular shipments of influenza vaccine from BCCDC starting in late September. These shipments arrive with an initial shipment of approximately 40% of the overall allotment for all providers followed by smaller allotments in subsequent weeks. Community vaccine providers can expect their flu vaccine to be allocated and distributed in the same way.
- Vaccine will be distributed to providers based on vaccine supply and the number of vaccine doses administered/wasted by each provider in previous influenza seasons.
- If planning a large flu clinic, include the details on the vaccine order form including the clinic date and expected doses needed. Do not plan large clinics prior to mid-late October.
- Influenza vaccine will be distributed based on available supply. If an ordered vaccine is no longer available, an equivalent product will be supplied.
- If no vaccine product (or substitute) is available, you will be notified by the local health unit.
Picking up vaccine
All vaccine providers are responsible for picking up the vaccine once contacted by the health unit to confirm order is ready. Bring a hard-sided cooler with frozen ice packs and gel/water blankets when picking up vaccine otherwise vaccine will not be released.
- Documentation & Reporting
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All Community vaccine providers (including Primary Care)
COVID-19: all doses must be recorded in the Provincial Immunization Registry (i.e. ImmsBC or eForm)
Primary Care Providers follow the steps below to order and document COVID-19 vaccines:
1. Order COVID-19 vaccines using the COVID-19 & Influenza Vaccine Order Form for Community Vaccine Providers.
2. The Public Health Informatics Team will review the information on the order form and request a Service Delivery Location (SDL) for your office from the Provincial Team. A SDL is required so your clinic can enter vaccines in the eForm system. The SDL typically takes about five business days to be created.
3. Follow the instructions in the email to complete the eForm education.
4. The Informatics Team will email you once your SDL is created. Once the SDL is created and you have completed the education you can start documenting influenza and COVID vaccines in eForms.
Note: The local health unit will contact you when your COVID-19 vaccine order is ready to be picked up. Providers are able to administer COVID-19 vaccines before they have eForm access, but all doses must be back entered in eForms.
Influenza: doses administered to individuals less than 19 years of age must be recorded in the Provincial Immunization Registry (i.e. ImmsBC or eForm). Doses administered to individuals 19 years of age and older are strongly recommended to be recorded in the Provincial Immunization Registry.
Report of Immunization of Children 0-18 Years by Community Vaccine Providers Form can be used to report influenza doses administered to children by providers who do not have access to ImmsBC or eForm. Fax to local Health Unit weekly. If providing COVID-19 doses to children under 19 years of age, doses must be documented in ImmsBC or eForm.
Acute Care
Community Health Services
- All COVID-19 & Influenza doses must be recorded in the Provincial Immunization Registry (i.e. ImmsBC)
- At the end of each clinic day, complete the Online Clinic Tally Form.
- For Access to ImmsBC:
- Reporting Adverse Events
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Reporting Adverse Events
- COVID-19 & Influenza Activity
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- Resources
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- Contacts
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