COVID-19 and Influenza Vaccine Information for Long-Term Care and Assisted Living Facilities

COVID-19 and Influenza Vaccine Information for Long-Term Care and Assisted Living Facilities

Information on this page is for all staff who work at long-term care or assisted living facilities located within Island Health, this includes facilities that are Island Health Owned & Operated, affiliates, and private facilities. 

Long-Term Care Memo

Vaccine Management
  • All staff who monitor, handle or administer vaccine must be familiar with the cold chain process and BCCDC Vaccine Management resources
  • Vaccine must always be stored between +2°C to +8°C either in a monitored fridge or cooler packed according to BCCDC standards
  • Record the minimum, maximum and current vaccine fridge temperatures at the start and end of each day using the BCCDC Fridge Temperature Form
  • Vaccine stored in a cooler for ≥4 hours must be monitored with a min/max thermometer
  • If vaccine is exposed to any temperature outside +2°C to +8°C, immediately:
    • Place vaccine in a bag and label ‘QUARANTINE – DO NOT USE’
    • Store bag between +2°C to +8°C in a monitored fridge or cooler packed according to BCCDC standards
    • Contact local health unit
Vaccine Eligibility
Vaccine Products

COVID-19 Vaccines
Influenza Vaccines

Inactivated Influenza Vaccines

Inactivated Influenza Vaccines

FLUAD  All residents and staff 65 years of age and older Pre-filled syringe
FLUZONE All residents and staff less than 65 years of age  Multi-dose vial or Pre-filled syringe
Ordering Vaccine

COVID-19 & Influenza Vaccine Order Form for Facilities

Start placing vaccine orders as of September 27, 2024.  Health Unit staff will contact you when order is ready for pick-up. Please allow 5 business days.

  • First Order: request vaccine doses based on the number of long-term care, assisted living and independent living residents. Vaccine can be ordered for staff, however, staff will also be invited to book an appointment through the provincial Get Vaccinated system. If staff are new to BC, they can register through getvaccinated.gov.bc.ca or by calling 1-833-838-2323.
  • Subsequent Orders: place as needed

Begin vaccinating residents as soon as vaccine is available at your facility. 

Facilities that contract pharmacists to administer vaccines: each facility should place their own vaccine order through Public Health to ensure the correct product is being administered to residents. If a pharmacist will be picking up the vaccine on behalf of the facility, indicate the name of the pharmacy on the order form.

Picking up vaccine: All facilities are responsible for picking up the vaccine once contacted by the health unit to confirm order is ready. Bring a hard-sided cooler with frozen ice packs and insulating material (e.g., flexible insulating blankets or gel packs at refrigerator temperature (+2˚C to +8˚C), bubble wrap, crumpled paper or Styrofoam peanuts) when picking up vaccine otherwise vaccine will not be released.

Documentation & Reporting

All COVID-19 doses must be recorded in the Provincial Immunization Registry (i.e. ImmsBC). Reason for Immunization must be selected when documenting for LTC Resident, LTC Staff, AL Resident & AL Staff. 

Receive Access to ImmsBC

Affiliate & Private LTC Homes and Assisted Living (Non-Island Health Staff):

  1. Site staff immunizers: email BCVAX-Support@gov.bc.ca for new ImmsBC access, support, and onboarding instructions.

Please Note: Previous access & support for ImmsBC through your Island Health account will be inactivated as of March 31, 2025. 

Island Health Owned & Operated LTC Homes (Island Health Staff):

  1. Supervisor: go to ISLH PPH Info Systems SharePoint Site: ImmsBC Account Request and complete the ImmsBC User Account Request Form using the ImmsBC Request Workflow.
  2. ImmsBC User: go to ISLH PPH Info Systems SharePoint Site: ImmsBCEducation and complete: ImmsBC Education for ISLH LTC & CHS Vaccine Providers.
  3. Support & Questions: email PPH.InfoSystems.Support@islandhealth.ca

For Affiliate & Private sites 
Site lead or designate (i.e. pharmacy provider) to complete paper tally sheet at end of clinic and email to: PublicHealthVaccineManagement@islandhealth.ca.

Online Clinic Tally Form
Influenza Coverage Reporting Form for LTC Residents and Staff
Consent Forms
Reporting Adverse Events

Learn more about Reporting Adverse Events

Outbreaks

Prepare for Outbreaks

Report Outbreaks within 24 hours

  • Amalgamate facilities report to their infection control practitioner
  • Affiliate facilities report to Public Health Communicable Disease Program:

Manage Outbreaks 

Monitor Outbreaks

Resources
Contacts

News & Events

Walk-in availability makes it easy for families to get immunized heading into the holiday season

Walk-in availability makes it easy for families to get immunized heading into the holiday season

Now is the best time to get your influenza and COVID-19 immunizations to provide protection as we head into the holiday season and gather with loved ones.

Read more

Child getting immunized at an Island Health facility

Reducing barriers and increasing access supports families to get immunized

For physicians Aaron Childs and Sonja Mathes, vaccinating their three children is a matter of course. 

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Child and mother

Children under five years now eligible to register to receive the COVID-19 vaccine

Beginning August 2, 2022, all people over the age of six months in B.C. can now receive protection against the COVID-19 virus, following Health Canada’s approval of the vaccine specifically formulated for children between the ages of six months and five years old.

Read more