Influenza vaccine availability for the 2021/2022 season
Advisory Alert
October 1, 2021
*Cette information est seulement disponible en anglais.
To: Local health care providers
Important information about the 2021/2022 Universal Influenza Immunization Program
With influenza season fast approaching, please find below important information about the 2021/2022 Universal Influenza Immunization Program (UIIP). This includes an overview of the provincial vaccine allocation process, information on the high-risk vaccine program as well as details on vaccine product availability, indications, and ordering information. This year, given the potential co-circulation of influenza and COVID-19 it is more important than ever to ensure that your patients are protected through vaccination.
Co-administration of COVID-19 and influenza vaccine
In a recently released statement, the National Advisory Committee on Immunization (NACI) recommends that COVID-19 vaccines may be given at the same time as, or any time before or after, other vaccines including live, non-live, adjuvanted or unadjuvanted vaccines. To view the full update, please visit NACI’s Recommendations on the use of COVID-19 vaccines. COVID-19 and influenza vaccines may now be administered concomitantly at different injection sites using separate administration equipment. A precautionary approach is no longer necessary.
Influenza vaccine allocation, high risk vaccine program, and high-dose influenza vaccine.
- Every year, the Ministry of Health allocates limited doses of the influenza vaccine to public health units—mainly based on previous year distribution levels and vaccine wastage information. Full details about the provincial distribution timelines are available at: ontario.ca/influenza. The UIIP implementation package is attached for your reference.
- This season, a high-risk vaccine program will precede vaccine availability for the general population. Please prioritize early doses of flu vaccine for high-risk individuals and those at risk of severe health outcomes. It is anticipated that hospitals and long-term care homes will receive their vaccine (including their high-dose allocations) early October. The high-risk program will follow later in the month of October. Vaccine roll-out for the general population is anticipated to be in November and December. Further details on timing of the general program will be provided as they are received.
- To ensure equitable distribution throughout our catchment area, initial influenza vaccine orders may be limited, with further opportunities to re-order after the program launches and the provincial supply is replenished. While you can begin immunizing as soon as you receive your initial doses, please hold off scheduling any larger clinics until November.
- High-dose quadrivalent (QIV-HD) and adjuvanted trivalent influenza (TIV-adj) vaccine will be available for ordering this year for seniors 65 years of age and older.
- QIV-HD will be available for order in October for seniors in the community with multiple co-morbidities.
- TIV-adj will also be available in October for seniors who at risk due to age.
- In November, remaining QIV-HD will be available of a first-come-first-served basis and remaining doses of TIV-adj or QIV may be given to the remainder of your eligible senior population.
- Do not delay vaccination to wait for a particular product. The QIV, QIV-HD and TIV-adj all protect against the flu, and the most important thing is for older adults to be vaccinated. For individual-level decision making, NACI states that when available, high-dose should be used over standard-dose inactivated influenza vaccine, given the burden of influenza A(H3N2) disease and the good evidence of better protection compared to standard-dose in adults 65 years of age and older. However, NACI states that any of the available age-appropriate influenza vaccines should be used. There is no preferential recommendation for the use of QIV-HD versus TIV-adj vaccine for this age group. To date, no studies have directly compared QIV-HD and TIV-adj formulations or TIV-adj and QIV formulations.
UIIP product information
This season, a variety of products will be available for ordering/immunization. The majority of these are quadrivalent vaccines and age indications for the products vary. Please refer to Table 1 below for product specific details for the vaccine products that will be available for health care providers to order.
Table 1: Influenza Vaccine Products for the 2021/2022 Season
| Influenza Vaccine Product | Availability | Eligibility | Dosage |
| FluLaval Tetra
(Quadrivalent influenza vaccine – QIV) GlaxoSmithKline Inc. |
15 mcg/0.5 mL
Multi-dose vial format (MDV) |
6 months of age and older* | 0.5 mL IM |
| Fluzone® Quadrivalent
(Quadrivalent influenza vaccine – QIV) Sanofi Pasteur Limited |
15 mcg/0.5 mL
MDV and pre-filled syringe (PFS) formats |
6 months of age and older* | 0.5 mL IM |
| Flucelvax® Quad
(Quadrivalent influenza vaccine – QIV) Seqirus Limited |
15 mcg/0.5 mL
PFS |
2 years of age and older* | 0.5 mL IM |
| Fluzone® High-Dose Quadrivalent
(Quadrivalent high-dose influenza vaccine – QIV-HD) Sanofi Pasteur Limited |
60 mcg /0.7 mL
PFS |
65 years of age and older | 0.7 mL IM |
| Fluad®
(Trivalent adjuvanted influenza vaccine – TIV-adj) Seqirus Limited |
15 mcg/0.5 mL
PFS |
65 years of age and older | 0.5 mL IM |
*Children <9 years receiving their first ever dose of influenza vaccine require 2 doses of 0.5 mL IM administered a minimum of 4 weeks apart.
Ordering information
Your influenza vaccine order form is attached. We will confirm the amounts allocated to your site for your high-risk patient population prior to your pickup. Health care providers can re‑order vaccines starting October 18, 2021, using the routine order form. Note that orders placed between October 18 and October 29 will be available for pick up after November 1, 2021. Fax or email orders to: 705.677.9616 or vaccineorder@phsd.ca.
Please note that limited initial quantities of influenza vaccine will be released. While we will do our best to meet requests, we may not always be able to provide total quantities of vaccine ordered. There will be opportunities to re-order as we receive additional inventory from the province.
UIIP package is attached
Your UIIP package is attached. Within you will find further information on the provincial procurement of influenza vaccine as well as Q&A documents outlining eligibility and indications for the UIIP vaccine products available for immunization in the 2021/22 season. We will share any additional information about the availability of influenza vaccine and the roll-out for the general population as it is shared by the province.
Thank you in advance for your ongoing commitment to protecting the health and safety of your patients through the provision of influenza vaccination. Should you have any questions, please contact the immunization program at 705.522.9200, ext. 458.
Sincerely,
Original Signed By
Dr. Penny Sutcliffe
Medical Officer of Health and Chief Executive Officer
NOTE: All Advisory Alerts are found on our website.
This item was last modified on October 1, 2021