BACKGROUND
In Ontario, immunization coverage rates for vaccine preventable diseases are unknown for individuals outside of the school aged population. Vaccine preventable diseases, like measles, have been re-emerging locally and across the province prompting renewed discussions about the growing importance of a provincial immunization registry. Currently, Ontario does not have a dependable, complete, or timely system to record vaccinations for all people in the province. Most people still have a paper-based “yellow immunization card” to document their past vaccines. Having an immunization registry would benefit individuals, families, health care providers, public health, and researchers. Without a registry, we cannot effectively measure or monitor our risks or successes in vaccination which limits our ability to improve response planning for future infectious disease outbreaks, emergencies, and pandemics.
DISCUSSION
In 2022, the Ministry of Health began initial discovery work with the intention of building out the current digital landscape for immunization records in the province within the larger landscape of health records knowing providers store vaccination information of clients to which vaccine is administered into their local provider system but no where else. Ideally, in a future state there would be one immunization record (i.e., record collected once in a provincial repository and utilized for various purposes, such as provider counseling and decision making, individual access) as a part of an Immunization Repository Consolidation (IRC) program.
In September 2024, the Ontario Immunization Advisory Committee (OIAC), a multidisciplinary scientific advisory body that provides evidence-based advice to Public Health Ontario on vaccines and immunization matters including vaccine program implementation in Ontario, priority populations and clinical guidance, strongly urged the Ontario Ministry of Health to develop and put into action a provincial immunization registry. They released a position statement featuring seven recommendations based on three guiding principles that serve as a strong recommendation for a comprehensive provincial immunization registry for the Province.
Later that fall, the Office of the Chief Medical Officer of Health, Ministry of Health sought public health unit volunteers for a new steering committee, the Immunization Repository Consolidation (IRC) Steering Committee. The Steering Committee will be in place for approximately 2 years, with the potential for a longer period depending on evolution and progression of work. The IRC Steering Committee reports to the Public Health Digital and Data Council, which governs and provides strategic direction for initiatives aligning with the Ministry’s Strategy and Public Health Digital and Data Plan. It sets digital and data priorities, advises on project documentation, oversees project portfolios, and enhances data use for innovation and capacity building. As plans proceed specifically on the IRC, the Steering Committee’s role is to provide guidance and oversight to consolidate the current landscape of immunization systems, COVaxON and Panorama, and govern and provide executive support, strategic direction, and leadership for IRC initiatives and projects. The WECHU was selected to have a representative on the Steering Committee to support this work.
PROPOSED MOTION
Whereas, the re-emergence patterns of existing and new vaccine preventable diseases are not limited by barriers that exist between local, provincial, and territorial borders; and
Whereas, the immunization coverage rates for vaccine preventable diseases are unknown for individuals outside of the school aged population; and
Whereas, a national immunization registry has been a longstanding recommendation for strengthening public health in Canada; and
Whereas, in September 2024, the Ontario Immunization Advisory Committee released a position statement strongly urging the development of a provincial immunization registry; and
Whereas, the WECHU has already demonstrated support for the Immunization Repository Consolidation project through the commitment of human resources for the work of the Steering Committee.
Now therefore be it resolved that the Windsor-Essex County Board of Health endorses the establishment and implementation of an Immunization Registry for Ontario;
FURTHER THAT, the Board supports the establishment of a pan-Canadian immunization registry at the Feder level that integrates with any provincial registries within Canada.