Older adults in Canada currently are significantly under-vaccinated, leading to poor health outcomes and the spread of infectious diseases. However, the Canadian review, approval, and purchasing system for vaccines are ineffective and leads to considerable health inequities. This system needs to be improved along with vaccine education and uptake before a COVID-19 vaccine is ready. This is as true for existing diseases with available vaccines as it is for COVID-19. A focus on fixing the system now and keeping our seniors’ population vaccinated is imperative to improve health resilience and reduce the load on critical and emergency care.

Recommendation #52: Fully Cover Best-In-Class Seniors’ Vaccines

Fully cover all seniors in Canada for the three modern, best-in-class vaccines most beneficial to their well-being: high dose flu, pneumonia, and shingles, as currently, only 3% of all seniors are up-to-date on their adult vaccinations.

Recommendation #53: Federal Approval Reform

Replace the current volunteer National Advisory Committee on Immunization (NACI) with a permanent arms-length federal body, to speed up and streamline approval processes and prioritize vaccine modernization.

Recommendation #54: Purchasing Reform

Centralize vaccine purchasing under a federal mandate for distribution to the provinces and territories, consolidating purchasing power and supply chain management. Ensure that all Canadians have the vaccines they need, regardless of location.

Recommendation #55: Education

Work with partners to create needed educational materials for seniors and healthcare providers to educate about the importance of older adult vaccinations, increase knowledge of vaccine coverage, address vaccine hesitancy, and encourage vaccination uptake.

Recommendation #56: Barrier-free Distribution and Uptake

Adult vaccinations must be available with as few barriers as possible to ensure effective distribution and uptake. Pharmacists must be able to distribute all adult vaccines. In the time of COVID-19, all innovative distribution measures must be considered including at-home vaccinations, drive-thru vaccination sites, and other outdoor physically-distanced sites.