The report comes from the C.D. Howe Institute, and it is titled “Not Just for Kids: How to Improve Adult Vaccination Uptake in Canada.” The report recommends that formal measures are taken to increase the adult vaccination rate.
The vaccinations profiled include influenza, pertussis (whooping cough) and pneumococcal (pneumonia). Within some provinces and territories, the vaccination rates for such preventable diseases fall below the national immunization uptake target. The government target is for a rate across the adult population of 80 percent or higher.
Commenting on the figures, Daniel Schwanen, who is the Vice President of Research at the C.D. Howe Institute, said: “The insufficient vaccination coverage is a wake-up call in this national immunization awareness week for public health authorities.”
Adding: “Canadian governments can and should address some of the key reasons that lead adult Canadians to be insufficiently vaccinated.”
The report identifies some reasons why vaccination rates are failing to hit the target. These are referred to as the “Three Cs.” The first is “confidence” about an individual’s trust in vaccine effectiveness and safety. The second is “complacency”, which refers to an individual’s low perceived risks of contracting an infectious disease. The third is “convenience”, which relates to the time, energy, indirect or direct costs required to attend an immunization service.
To address these issues, the report recommends that officials undertake renewed education campaigns to overcome complacency and confidence, while seeking improvements in convenience. One idea around boosting convenience is in reviewing pharmacy services, to make access easier. Pharmacies should also begin to introduce digital applications to provide reminders to people and to assist with scheduling.
The report also suggests targeting different occupations, such as healthcare workers. To achieve this, vaccination programs should be introduced into the workplace to make it easier for healthcare workers to be immunized.
A further recommendation is developing an improved monitoring infrastructure, centered around an adult immunization database.
