Update four: 2022-2023 Influenza Vaccine Program

Key messages

• Co-administration: This respiratory season, the province is encouraging co-administration of COVID-19 and influenza vaccines to optimize protection, particularly for the most vulnerable.
• Coverage Rates: Our goal is to utilize all the influenza vaccine we have available.
• Convenience: Mass immunization sites and many pharmacies will offer influenza and COVID-19 vaccines. Select pharmacies and primary care clinics will offer the influenza vaccine.
• Influenza Vaccine Supply: This year’s influenza vaccine supply to the Health Authorities matches what was used last year. However, this year’s influenza vaccine supply, will need to be divided between mass immunization sites and primary care providers.
• Influenza Vaccine Demand: As clients may choose co-administration through pharmacies or mass immunization sites, we anticipate reduced demand at primary care clinics.
• Documentation: General practitioner and nurse practitioner offices are not required to document influenza vaccinations in ImmsBC or to report back to public health.
• Previous 2022-2023 Influenza Vaccine Program updates are available here.

Promoting influenza immunization

• BC’s influenza immunization campaign will start the week of October 11, 2022.
• Promote your clinic on the BC Flu Clinic Locator. To have your clinic listed, register at www.immunizebc.ca/user/register. Once approved, you can post influenza clinics you are offering.

Ordering influenza vaccine

• If you have questions about your vaccine order or supply, please call your local public health unit. If you are unable to speak with someone who can answer your question, you can send an email. See table below for email addresses.
• Supply of Fluzone® Quadrivalent in pre-filled syringes is limited. Most of our supply will be in multi-dose vials.
• General Practitioner and Nurse Practitioner offices:
  • To order influenza vaccine to administer to patients in your office:
    • Please submit your influenza vaccine order using the online vaccine order request form.
    • We anticipate some of your patients will choose to go to a mass immunization site or pharmacy this year. You are likely to receive approximately 2/3 of the influenza vaccine you administered last year. We are carefully monitoring influenza vaccine supply. Influenza vaccine orders will be distributed in a number of installments.
    • We will monitor vaccine uptake and make adjustments as needed. Should more vaccine become available we will increase the amount available to you.
    • We are committed to ensuring physicians have the vaccine they need to support their patient populations.
  • If you are planning an influenza vaccination clinic for a large number of patients:
    • As soon as possible, please email your local public health unit (see table below) notifying them of the date and approximate amount of influenza vaccine you will require.
    • 48 hours in advance of your clinic: submit your order using the online vaccine order request form. Please only order the amount of vaccine for the appointments you have booked.
• Long Term Care and Assisted Living:
  • For influenza vaccine ordering:
    • If you get your supply from your local public health unit, fill out the online vaccine order request form.
    • If you get your supply from your acute care pharmacy – please connect with them.
  • For COVID-19 vaccine ordering:
    • Please order using the online COVID-19 vaccine order request form.
• Pharmacists:
  • Please request your vaccine through the BC Pharmacy Association/Distributors.

Vaccine handling and storage

• Keep vaccines at 2-8°C at all times. Check and log the temperature in the vaccine refrigerator twice daily. Contact your local public health unit for guidance immediately if you experience a cold chain incident.
• Notify your local public health unit as soon as possible if your demand for influenza vaccine is lower than anticipated so that your supply can be redistributed to where it is needed. It is essential to maintain cold chain of your vaccines at all times.
• Multi-dose vials of influenza vaccine no longer have a 28 day expiry once punctured. The vaccine can be used up to the expiry date printed on the vial.

Adverse events following immunization

Health Care Providers play a crucial role in post-marketing surveillance of vaccine safety by reporting Adverse Events Following Immunization (AEFI). AEFIs must be reported to the Medical Health Officer. Reportable events include serious events, events requiring urgent medical attention, unusual or unexpected events, and geographically or temporally clustered events. Reporting criteria and instructions: How to report an AEFI.

Vaccine Injury Support Program (VISP)

Canada's Vaccine Injury Support Program (VISP) is a federal program that provides financial support if it is determined that an individual has experienced a serious and permanent injury after receiving a Health Canada-approved vaccine, administered in Canada on or after December 8, 2020.

Health professionals are encouraged to inform patients who may be eligible for compensation by VISP. If you support a patient in submission of a claim to the Vaccine Injury Support Program, please also report their adverse event to Public Health. Learn more at Vaccine Injury Support.

Public Health Unit contact information

• If emailing, please use the following subject line: “Influenza Vaccine Supply Question”.