Fact Sheet

National Immunization Strategy (NIS) for Canada

Immunization saves more lives and prevents more suffering every day than any other medical intervention.

Today - with new technology, an increased number of vaccines and higher demand - Canada and other countries face a range of challenges to immunization. A collaborative national approach is required to address issues such as vaccine supply and access to publicly funded vaccine programs.

In response to these new realities, the Government of Canada, provinces and territories launched the National Immunization Strategy (NIS), a comprehensive strategy to meet the current and future immunization needs of all Canadians. The 2003 federal budget provided funding of $45 million over five years to strengthen federal infrastructure and programs for addressing immunization issues such as vaccine safety, surveillance of vaccine preventable diseases and immunization coverage, research, vaccine supply issues and professional and public education.

The NIS identified the following goals:

• Ensure equitable and timely access to recommended vaccines
• Optimize program safety and effectiveness
• Improve co-ordination and cost-effectiveness of immunization programs
• Ensure the security of vaccine supply
• Provide rapid and effective national interventions in emergency situations and in response to international requests when required
• Promote professional and public acceptance of recommended programs.

Through Budget 2004, the federal government provided $300 million to support the introduction of new and recommended childhood and adolescent vaccines: Pneumococcal, meningoccal, varicella and acellular pertussis vaccines. The funds were made available to the provinces and territories and will assist in achieving the goal of equitable access across Canada to these four newer childhood vaccines. A number of provinces have either implemented, or plan to implement, new publicly funded programs for these vaccines.

Following through on the goals outlined in the NIS, the Public Health Agency of Canada has strengthened, for example, surveillance of vaccine preventable diseases and vaccine associated adverse events and our approach to the management of vaccine supply. As well, steps have been taken to increase immunization research capacity to support the Agency's ability to evaluate the current schedule of recommended vaccines.

For a full copy of the final report of the National Immunization Strategy, please go to http://www.phac-aspc.gc.ca/publicat/nis-sni-03/index-eng.php.