The Long and Winding Road to Improving Immunization Rates: Sharing Best Practices in Canada

Abstract

Vaccines are one of the most effective ways to decrease childhood mortality. Unfortunately, however, Canada placed 28th out of 29 high-income countries in a 2013 UNICEF report that compared national uptake rates of early childhood immunizations. Work is underway to address this issue as reflected in the 2016 federal budget which highlights the importance of improving access to immunization. There are many steps that can be taken to improve vaccine uptake, such as identifying and better understanding the individual and program level factors that underlie delay or refusal to receive vaccines. However, it is challenging to find evidence and ensure its relevancy within the Canadian context. Targeted resources are needed that address the complexity of immunization along the entire continuum from vaccine manufacture through to patient uptake. Although there is a lot of information relevant to Canada, it has not been gathered together in one “go to” site and it is not curated. Canada needs a solid, easily accessible, user-friendly platform for sharing what works in immunization with health care professionals as well as parents and patients. This platform would be a major step in facilitating vaccine acceptance in Canada.