Grand Erie Public Health

Addition of maternal Tdap dose
Hepatitis B eligibility expansion to Grade 12
Rotavirus change: added Rotarix 2-dose series (removed Rotateq 3-dose series)
Simplified catch up schedules as a result of:
- Hep B eligibility to Grade 12, and;
- All students now eligible for HPV until the end of Gr.12 (no longer the need to differentiate between M/F for HPV as initial cohort of boys have completed Gr.12)
Addition of more detailed information in Table 1: Vaccine Administration

Brant County Health Unit has updated our Routine Vaccination Summary document which can be used as a quick reference of the current publicly funded schedule.

The Ministry of Health’s guidance for routine and catch-up immunization services was updated in Jan 2024:

Guidance for Routine & Catch-Up Immunization Services (ontario.ca)

Highlights include program extensions to 2024 for the following vaccines for missed doses:

Hepatitis B
Human Papillomavirus (HPV)
Shingles
High risk program vaccines

Extended Eligibility for School-based, grade 7 vaccines

Vaccine	Current eligibility	Impacted cohort	Remains eligible for misseddoses until	Special considerations
Hep B (Recombivax or Engerix)	Grades 7 to 12a	Students who graduated in the 2022/23 school year(born in 2005b, and 2006)b	Aug 31, 2024(must complete series)	These vaccines are typically provided through school- based clinics; however, if health care providers have eligible patients requesting a vaccine, contact the local health unit for a special release access to administer the vaccine(s) directly.
HPV-9(Gardasil 9)	Grades 7 to 12	Students who graduated in the 2019/20c, 2020/21c, 2021/22 and 2022/23 school years(born in 2002, 2003, or 2004,2005 and 2006)d	Aug 31, 2024(must complete series)
Men-C- ACYW135(Nimenrix)	Grades 7 to 12 and those born in or after1997	N/A	Remains eligible until vaccine is received

a As of September 2022, all students in grades 7 to end of grade 12 are eligible for the publicly funded Hep B vaccine.

b Individuals aged 16 years and older require a 3-dose Hep B immunization schedule as per the Canadian Immunization Guide

c Females only as per publicly funded program criteria. Males in grade 7 became eligible in 2016. These males were born in 2004.

d Individuals aged 15 years and older require a 3-dose HPV-9 immunization schedule as per the Canadian Immunization Guide

Adult vaccine

Vaccine	Current eligibility	Impacted cohort	Remains eligible for missed doses until	Special considerations
HZ(Shingrix)	65 to 70 years old	Seniors born in 1949, 1950, 1951, 1952 and1953	Dec 31,2024

High risk vaccines

Vaccine	Current eligibility	Impacted cohort	Remains eligible for misseddoses until	Special considerations
HPV-9e(Gardasil)	Males 9 to26 years	Males born in 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, and1997	Dec 31,2024
4CMenBf (Bexsero)	2 months to17 years	Individuals born in 2002, 2003, 2004,2005 and 2006	Dec 31,2024
Men-C- ACYW135(Menactra)(Nimenrix)	9 months to55 yearsg	Individuals born in 1964h, 1965i, 1966j,1967 and 1968	Dec 31,2024

e,f Age of the impacted cohorts falls within the Health Canada product monograph age indications for product use

g Ontario publicly funds a single lifetime dose of Men-C-ACYW135 for individuals

≥56 years of age who meet high risk eligibility criteria listed in Table 3: High Risk Vaccine Programs of the Publicly Funded Schedules for Ontario (2022)

h,i,j Under the program extension high risk individuals born in 1964, 1965 and 1966 are eligible for 2 doses of Men-C-ACYW135, since they would have been 55 years of age in 2020, 2021 and 2022, respectively. Administration of two doses in these cohorts aligns with NACI recommendations based on expert opinion to as the product monographs limits age indication to 55 years of age.

Order Vaccines

The Health Unit partners with local health care providers to supply publicly funded vaccines.

Orders can be placed using the Vaccine/Supply order form linked below:

Vaccine / Supply Order Form
Note: for vaccine orders of RSV, Influenza and COVID-19, please use the new order form found under Seasonal Fall Vaccines below.

REQUIREMENTS FOR THE ORDER TO BE PROCESSED:

Ensure “# of DOSES Currently in Fridge” column is completed for total current vaccine inventory, not just vaccines being requested. Note: Orders may be reduced to maintain appropriate inventory levels.
Submit order with copy of current 4-week temperature log (up to and including current date) demonstrating temperatures maintained between 2-8°C.
Note: Incomplete orders will NOT be processed.

VACCINE ORDER AND PICK UP PROCESS (updated July, 2024):

Orders can be submitted by email to VaccineandSupplyOrders@bchu.org or fax 519-753-2140
Orders to be submitted by Thursday at 4:30pm for pick up the following weekon Tuesdays or Thursdays between 8:30am-4:30pm
- If you have an urgent order need, please contact the Vaccine Preventable Disease Program Support Staff to review – 519-753-4937 ext. 452, this can be considered on a case by base basis and is dependent on urgency or need and program capacity.
Note: We would encourage you to order monthly, however you can order more or less frequently based on your need.
All orders will continue to be packed for pick up at the Brant County Health Unit reception – 194 Terrace Hill Street, Brantford ON, N3R 1G7
A temperature monitored cooler (with min/max thermometer) that is maintained between 2-8°C is required for vaccine transport as per MOH Vaccine Storage and Handling Guidelines (Pgs. 15-17 detail requirements for vaccine transport and how to prep a temperature monitored cooler for vaccine pick up)

NOTE ON SPECIAL ORDER VACCINES:

Special Order Vaccine Requests will be reviewed for approval by VPD Nurse to confirm vaccine is publicly funded for client.
These vaccines are distributed per client – If not used, these cannot be returned to the health unit or used for another client
Please ensure you have an appt booked with your client for vaccine administration before ordering. Please ensure that you are following up with your client to ensure vaccine administration to avoid vaccine wastage.

Please contact the Vaccine Preventable Diseases Program at 519-753-4937 ext. 452 with any questions or concerns.

Resources

Report Vaccinations

Please report all publicly funded vaccines administered to children 0-17 years to the Health Unit, to assist with ensuring all school aged children are on schedule for routine vaccinations. This can be done by submitting a printout of the vaccines that have been administered or use the following reporting form.

Vaccine Reporting Form

Forms can be faxed to the Health Unit or picked up by Health Unit staff during vaccine delivery.

Return Non-Useable Vaccine

Non-usable vaccine should be returned to the health unit using the Non-Useable Vaccine Return Form.

Please ensure all boxes are filled out for each vaccine being returned with a separate line for each lot number. All returns must be packaged together with this form securely attached and returned to Grand Erie Public Health main reception between Mon-Fri 8:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.

NOTE: Do not return punctured vials or partially used vaccines – these can be disposed with biohazard waste.

NOTE: COVID-19 vaccine should NOT be returned to the health unit. This vaccine should be documented as wastage in COVaxON and disposed of appropriately as per the General COVID-19: Vaccine Storage and Handling Guidance.

If you have any questions, please contact the Grand Erie Public Health Vaccine and Supply Order Team at 519-753-4937 ext. 452 or vaccineandsupplyorders@geph.ca.

Education

Webinar Video – Immunization Catch-Up and Out of Province Assessments

Downloadable PDF – Immunization Catch-Up and Out of Province Assessments

Adverse Events Following Immunizations (AEFI)

Physicians, nurses and pharmacists must report Adverse Events Following Immunization (AEFI) to their local Medical Officer of Health under Section 38(3) of the Health Protection and Promotion Act (HPPA).

AEFIs are to be reported to the Health Unit within 7 days of the suspected adverse event, using the Reporting Form. Once complete, please fax it to us at 519-753-2140.

Once a report is received, a Public Health Nurse investigates the adverse event and reports to the Medical Officer of Health.

If you have any questions about reporting an AEFI, please call us at 519-753-4937 ext. 454.

Resources

AEFI Provider Questions and Answers (PDF)

Cold Chain Failure

Report all cold chain failures immediately to the Health Unit.

During regular business hours (M-F, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.)
- 519-753-4937 ext. 445
After hours:
- 519-753-4937 (stay on the line to speak to an operator and ask for the on-call public health investigator to be notified)

Public health units are required under the Ontario Public Health Standards, issued under the authority of the Health Protection and Promotion Act, to:

Respond to reports of cold chain incidents.
Inspect premises where provincially funded vaccines are stored

Resources

Vaccine Storage and Handling Guidelines

Seasonal Vaccines – RSV, COVID-19, and Influenza

High-Risk Older Adult RSV Vaccine Program

The 2025-2026 Older Adult RSV program has started. NEW THIS YEAR: In addition to adults 60-74 who meet high risk criteria, all adults 75 years of age and older are eligible to receive the vaccine.

Please see the implementation package in the resources section below for eligibility and guidance on administration.

Fall Infant and High-Risk Children RSV Prevention Program

The 2025-2026 infant and high-risk children RSV prevention program will begin October 1, 2025. To ensure protection through respiratory season, it is recommended infants and high risk children receive their dose of Beyfortus in the fall as the immunization offers 6 months of protection.

Please see the implementation package in the resources section below for eligibility and guidance on administration.

COVID-19 Vaccine

The 2025-2026 COVID-19 Vaccine program has started. All eligible individuals are recommended to receive an updated COVID-19 vaccine this fall. An additional dose of COVID-19 vaccine is recommended in the Spring 2026, as detailed in the implementation package for previously vaccinated individuals who have completed their primary series and are at increased risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection. Only those meeting eligibility should receive an additional dose in Spring 2026.

High-Risk Eligibility (Spring 2026 – additional dose)

Adults 65 years of age and older.
- NACI recommends that those 80 years and older should receive an additional dose of vaccine while those 65 to 79 years of age may receive an additional dose of vaccine.
Adult residents of long-term care homes and other congregate living settings for seniors.
Individuals 6 months of age and older who are moderately to severely immunocompromised (due to an underlying condition or treatment). Please see the resources below for more details on those who are considered moderately to severely immunocompromised.
Individuals 55 years and older who identify as First Nations, Inuit, or Metis and their non-Indigenous household members who are 55 years and older.

Please see the implementation package in the resources section below for eligibility and guidance on administration.

Influenza Vaccine

The peak time for influenza is November through April each year. The 2025/2026 influenza vaccine program has started.

All high risk individuals and priority populations are eligible as soon as possible. The general population will be eligible October 27, 2025.

Please see the implementation package in the resources section below for eligibility and guidance on administration.

RSV Resources

Resources, including eligibility and guidance for health care providers can be found here: https://www.ontario.ca/page/respiratory-syncytial-virus-rsv-prevention-programs

COVID-19 Resources

Resources, including eligibility and guidance for health care providers can be found here: https://www.ontario.ca/page/covid-19-vaccine-program

Influenza Resources

Resources, including fact sheets regarding eligibility and guidance for health care providers can be found here: https://www.ontario.ca/page/universal-influenza-immunization-program

Expand all

Ordering Seasonal Vaccines (RSV, Influenza, COVID-19)

Vaccine orders can be placed using the new 2025/2026 Seasonal Vaccine Order Form
Orders are submitted by email to VaccineAndSupplyOrders@geph.ca OR fax 519-753-2140
Reminder: submit your order with a copy of current 4-week temperature log (up to and including current date) demonstrating cold chain is maintained between temperatures of 2-8 Degrees Celsius
To prevent vaccine wastage, we encourage smaller, more frequent orders.
Orders must be submitted by Thursday at 4:30pm for pick up the following week on Tuesdays or Thursdays between 8:30am-4:30pm
If you have an urgent order need, please contact the Vaccine Preventable Disease Program Support Staff to review 519-753-4937 ext. 452, these will be considered on a case-by-case basis, dependent on urgency, and program capacity

Links and Resources

Covid-19 Vaccine Administration

COVaxON Onboarding Form

Professionals & Partners

Resources for the people we work alongside.

Statistics & Reports

Local data that informs public health action.

About Us

Who we are and how we're organized.

Organization

More

Immunizations

Professionals & Partners

Resources for the people we work alongside.

Statistics & Reports

Local data that informs public health action.

About Us

Who we are and how we're organized.

Organization

More

​Immunizations

Immunizations