New report shows provinces & territories still failing to vaccinate seniors

TORONTO ON, Jan 31—CanAge, Canada’s National Seniors’ Advocacy Organization has released its second ‘cross-country report card on adult vaccination in Canada’. The groundbreaking report, updated annually, assigns each province and territory a letter grade on how effective they are in vaccinating seniors against preventable diseases, using a data-driven scoring rubric. For the second year in a row, the report (the first of its kind in Canada) shows glaring gaps across the country that continue to put older peoples’ lives at risk while placing unnecessary burden on our flagging healthcare systems.

“Last year’s report showed some worrying trends across the country in the area of adult vaccination,” says Laura Tamblyn Watts, CEO of CanAge. “This year we were looking for major improvements, especially in light of lessons learned about the importance of vaccine uptake during the pandemic. Unfortunately, while there are pockets of progress, the national picture is still grim.”

Key findings from the report include:

• • The average overall score nationally was D-, unchanged from last year
  • Prince Edward Island scored the highest grade, followed closely by Ontario
  • Nunavut and Quebec scored the lowest grades
  • Yukon was the most improved jurisdiction compared to last year, adding seniors- specific flu shots and the recommended shingles vaccine to public coverage
  • Yukon, Ontario, and Prince Edward Island are the only jurisdictions in Canada to fund the recommended shingles vaccine

Vaccination rates in Canadian adults are historically low, in stark contrast to the much higher rates in children, despite immunization being recognized as a core component of reducing health care spending and keeping seniors out of hospital where they are at risk of severe health outcomes.

The report, which focuses primarily on the senior-specific recommended vaccines for seasonal flu, shingles and pneumonia (widely considered the ‘Big 3” preventable illnesses due to the disproportionately high risk they post to seniors and immunocompromised persons), assesses each provincial and territorial government on core areas of their immunization programs: vaccine funding, points of access, and public education to drive awareness.

It’s important to note that, while vaccination is under the jurisdiction of provincial and territorial governments, addressing the shortfalls exposed in this report are a shared responsibility with the federal government.

“The systems and processes the federal government use to approve, procure, and mobilize vaccines are antiquated and, quite frankly, embarrassing on the global stage,” notes Tamblyn Watts. “Canada needs a COVID-informed approach to adult vaccination. The country needs to focus on purchasing adequate vaccines in a timely way, ensure coverage for all NACI-recommended vaccines, and then make sure that people can access those vaccines easily in their communities. Canada is dismal next to other comparable countries on adult vaccinations, leading to unnecessary illness, productively and loss of life.” 

The 2022 edition of ‘Adult Vaccination in Canada: Cross-Country Report Card’ is available for download now.

Regional media releases summarizing the findings for each province and territory are available on the CanAge website.

About CanAge

CanAge is Canada’s National Seniors’ Advocacy Organization, working to improve the lives of older adults through advocacy, policy, and community engagement. We are a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization and backed by a broad pan-Canadian membership base. Find out more.

Media Contact 

Michelle Saunders,

Media Relations 

416-414-1872 mobile

michelle@canage.ca 

media@canage.ca