Influenza Vaccine Availability in the Public Health Sudbury & Districts Area

Advisory Alert

January 24, 2019

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To community health care providers:

Re: Influenza Vaccine Availability in the Public Health Sudbury & Districts Area

This letter is to provide an update on influenza vaccine supply in relation to the province’s Universal Influenza Immunization Program (UIIP) for the 2018/2019 influenza season.

Vaccine Supply and Access

Inventory Strategies for Effective Use of Quadrivalent Inactivated Influenza Vaccine (QIV )

Weekly ordering limits have been put in place over the last several weeks, which will continue to be used for the remainder of the flu season to maximize the use of the vaccines that are currently in the community. Current ordering limit is 1 to 2 units (10 to 20 doses) per week.

Public Access to Influenza Vaccines for the Remainder of the Flu Season

As there are a large number of QIV doses (estimated at between 300,000 and 350,000 doses) in the fridges of pharmacies and primary care provider offices across the province, local public health units will be assisting residents in finding locations where vaccine stock is available.

Additional Information

Influenza Activity in Ontario and Canada

At the national level, for the week of January 6 to 12, the number of influenza cases continued to decline sharply from the previous week confirming that the influenza season reached peak levels in the last week of December. In Ontario, cases also decreased for the week of January 6 to 12. Influenza A is the most common flu strain circulating in the province and Canada, with the majority of cases being A(H1N1)pdm09.

Provincial Vaccine Supply Update

• The total number of influenza vaccine doses purchased for the province was increased to 4.57 million doses (up from 4.4M) in order to meet the early and increased demand.
• If demand continues at the same rate, Ontario Government Pharmaceutical and Medical Supply Service (OGPMSS) stock of QIV is expected to be depleted by the end of this week, January 20 to 26, 2019.
• Quadrivalent live attenuated influenza vaccine (Q-LAIV; nasal spray vaccine) has been out of stock at OGPMSS since late November.
• High-dose TIV remains available for order at the OGPMSS by Toronto providers and public health units.

Historical Influenza Vaccine Administration Data

• As of the third week in January, approximately 96% of influenza doses have been administered.
• Approximately 200,000 doses remain to be administered between January and the end of the influenza
  season.

I wish to thank you for the important role that you play as a health care provider in delivering the province’s UIIP and protecting Ontarians against the flu.

Should you have any questions, please contact the immunization program at 705.522.9200, ext. 301.

Sincerely,
Ariella Zbar, MD, CCFP, MPH, MBA, FRCPC
Associate Medical Officer of Health and Director, Clinical Services

This item was last modified on January 24, 2019