The Adult National Immunization Coverage Survey (aNICS) 2023 - Executive Summary

Prepared for the Public Health Agency of Canada
Supplier name: Advanis Inc.
Contract number: 6D142-226721
Contract value: $296,396.28 (including HST)
Award date: February 28, 2023
Delivery date: October 17, 2023

Registration number: POR 140-22
For more information on this report, please contact Health Canada at:
por-rop@hc-sc.gc.ca

Table of contents

• 1. Executive Summary
  • 1.1 Background
  • 1.2 Objectives
  • 1.3 Methodology
  • 1.4 Contract Value
  • 1.5 Political Neutrality Requirement

1. Executive Summary

1.1 Background

Since 1991, the Public Health Agency of Canada has been monitoring national vaccination coverage for selected adult vaccines. The adult National Immunization Coverage Survey (aNICS) was first conducted in 2001 and has been routinely administered every two years since 2006 until 2016 when it was discontinued. The aNICS was conducted in 2001, 2006, 2008, 2010, 2012, 2014, and 2016. Results from aNICS are used to monitor coverage at the national level for vaccines recommended by the National Advisory Committee on Immunization (NACI), to report vaccination coverage estimates against national coverage goals and to inform vaccination programs and public education strategies. Coverage among the general population aged 18 and older for immunization against seasonal influenza, pneumococcal, hepatitis B, tetanus, pertussis, varicella, herpes zoster (shingles), and human papillomavirus (HPV) was reported for each cycle.

As the most recent cycle of data collection for the aNICS occurred in 2016, there is a need for more recent data on immunization coverage among Canadians. National health surveys such as the Survey on Vaccination during Pregnancy (SVP), the COVID-19 Vaccination Coverage Survey (CVCS), and the Seasonal Influenza (Flu) Vaccination Coverage Survey, all conducted by the Public Health Agency of Canada, provide some prevalence indicators for immunization coverage among adult Canadians. However, these surveillance tools do not provide sufficiently comprehensive data on immunization coverage for all vaccine-preventable diseases of interest at national and/or provincial/territorial levels that are required for ongoing monitoring, nor do they provide sufficient data on vaccine hesitancy and knowledge, attitudes and beliefs (KAB) regarding vaccines. In addition, they do not have the capacity to track immunization coverage and KAB relating to emerging vaccine-preventable diseases that may not have been relevant to tracking in the past, such as polio or monkeypox. And finally, there is a need for a better understanding of the current status of immunization coverage among health care workers (HCWs) that is not supported by these surveys, as well as an understanding of the coverage of immunizations recommended prior to travel. These issues lead to data gaps that have an impact on policy and program development.

1.2 Objectives

The primary objective of this research is to obtain both nationally and provincially/territorially (P/T) representative results for immunization coverage among Canadians aged 18 years and older. Specifically, this research aims to provide data on:

• the immunization status of Canadians aged 18 and older for hepatitis B, tetanus, pertussis, varicella, HPV, shingles, pneumococcal, monkeypox, polio, measles and meningitis, as per the National Advisory Committee on Immunization (NACI)’s recommendations;
• COVID-19 and influenza immunization status; and
• immunization coverage among HCWs, adults with chronic medical conditions, and seniors aged 65 and older.

Secondary objectives of this research are to understand:

• travel-related immunization behaviours of Canadians travelling abroad;
• knowledge, attitudes, and beliefs (KAB) towards immunization, including vaccine hesitancy and sources of information on vaccines; and
• barriers and facilitators to immunization.

1.3 Methodology

Data collection started April 4, 2023, and ended July 26, 2023, and was conducted by Advanis.

A sample of 368,059 Canadians aged 18 or older were called by random digit dialing (RDD) and invited to participate in an online survey. A total of 47,668 recruits agreed to participate and received an email or SMS inviting them to take part in the survey or agreed to participate directly on the phone.

Of those invited, 12,333 answered the survey. However, 155 were under 18 years old, 9 lived outside Canada and five were removed from the dataset for giving unintelligible responses. Hence, 12,164 were considered to have completed the survey.

Survey results were weighted by region, gender+ and age group. Recruitment ensured quotas were reached for key sub-populations to ensure statistical relevance and representativeness.

1.4 Contract Value

The contract value for this study was $296,396.28 (including HST).

1.5 Political Neutrality Requirement

I hereby certify as a Senior Officer of Advanis that the deliverables fully comply with the Government of Canada’s political neutrality requirements outlined in the Communications Policy of the Government of Canada and Procedures for Planning and Contracting Public Opinion Research.

Specifically, the deliverables do not contain any reference to electoral voting intentions, political party preferences, standings with the electorate, or ratings of the performance of a political party or its leader.

Nicolas Toutant
Vice President, Research and Evaluation
Advanis
nicolas.toutant@advanis.ca