COVID-19 Vaccine Information for Long-Term Care and Assisted Living Facilities

COVID-19 & Influenza Vaccine Information for Long-Term Care and Assisted Living Facilities

Information on this page is for staff who work at long-term care or assisted living facilities located within Island Health. This spring, COVID-19 vaccines will be administered to residents of LTC and Assisted Living Facilities.

The 2023-2024 Influenza season is now complete. For more information regarding Influenza vaccine please check back in the fall of 2024. In exceptional circumstances Influenza vaccine may be available at your local Public Health unit. Please contact your local Public Health unit for more information.

Memo

Vaccine Management
  • 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
Vaccine Products

COVID-19 Vaccines

Ordering Vaccine

COVID-19 Vaccine Order Form for Facilities

Start placing vaccine orders the week of April 2, 2024 for distribution the following week.

First Order: request vaccine doses based on the number of long-term care and assisted living residents. Independent living residents and staff over 65 years of age will receive an invite through the Get Vaccinated System to book their vaccine appointment at a community pharmacy or community clinic, or Independent Living residents and staff can be immunized on site. Staff under 65 years of age who have previously received an XBB.1.5 vaccine and wish to receive an additional dose this spring may do so. 

Subsequent Orders: place as needed

Begin vaccinating residents as soon as vaccine is available at your facility. 

Facilities that contract pharmacists to administer vaccines

Each facility should place their own vaccine order through Public Health. If a pharmacist will be picking up the vaccine on behalf of the facility, indicate the name of the pharmacy on the order form.

Picking up vaccine

Facilities 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 insulating material (e.g.: flexible insulating blankets or gel packs at refrigerator temperature (+2C to +8C), bubble wrap, crumpled paper or Styrofoam peanuts), when picking up vaccine otherwise vaccine will not be released.

Documentation & Reporting

All COVID-19 doses must be recorded in the Provincial Immunization Registry (i.e. ImmsBC).

Receive Access to ImmsBC

Supervisor: complete ImmsBC User Account Request Form using the ImmsBC Request Workflow
ImmsBC User: complete Education for LTC & AL Sites
Support & Questions: email PublicHealthInformatics@islandhealth.ca

Complete the COVID-19 Clinic Tally for Facilities at the end of each clinic day.

Consent Forms
Reporting Adverse Events

Learn more about Reporting Adverse Events.

Outbreaks
  • Review your facility’s outbreak protocols and plans

Report Outbreaks within 24 hours

  • Amalgamate facilities report to their infection control practitioner
  • Affiliate facilities report to Public Health Communicable Disease Program:

Manage Outbreaks 

  • Implement outbreak policies

Monitor Outbreaks

Resources
Contacts

News & Events

Walk-in availability makes it easy for families to get immunized heading into the holiday season

Walk-in availability makes it easy for families to get immunized heading into the holiday season

Now is the best time to get your influenza and COVID-19 immunizations to provide protection as we head into the holiday season and gather with loved ones.

Read more

Child getting immunized at an Island Health facility

Reducing barriers and increasing access supports families to get immunized

For physicians Aaron Childs and Sonja Mathes, vaccinating their three children is a matter of course. 

Read more

Child and mother

Children under five years now eligible to register to receive the COVID-19 vaccine

Beginning August 2, 2022, all people over the age of six months in B.C. can now receive protection against the COVID-19 virus, following Health Canada’s approval of the vaccine specifically formulated for children between the ages of six months and five years old.

Read more