The 2023-24 Alberta Influenza Immunization Program for the general public begins on October 16, 2023. The following resources provide information for pharmacy teams to support administering influenza vaccine.
The Alberta Immunization Policy (AIP) outlines the policies for providing publicly funded immunizations in Alberta. Information provided by Alberta Health includes the following:
Respiratory virus dashboard
Alberta Health has launched its COVID-19, influenza, and RSV dashboard. It includes data on cases, positivity, hospital and ICU admissions, and will include information on deaths in the near future. The dashboard will be updated every Thursday throughout the respiratory virus season.
The Influenza Immunization Information for Health Professionals webpage contains the following important information for community providers implementing a safe and effective influenza immunization program for 2023-24:
All other influenza program information specific to pharmacists and pharmacies will be communicated in the Alberta Blue Cross Benefacts.
Alberta Blue Cross Benefact #1116 includes the following information for pharmacy teams:
Benefact #1130 includes the following information:
Watch for future updates about the 2023-24 Alberta Influenza Immunization Program in future editions of the Benefact.
Alberta Blue Cross has also published a Reference guide for administering and claiming influenza vaccines 2023-24, which includes the following information:
The Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) is collaborating with the National Collaborating Centre for Infectious Diseases (NCCID) to produce a webinar to inform health care providers on the National Advisory Committee on Immunization (NACI) recommendations on seasonal influenza vaccine use for the 2023-2024 season.
At the end of this webinar, participants will be able to
The same webinar will be presented in English and French. The webinars will be recorded and available to access on the NCCID website shortly after each session.
Even if you don’t administer vaccine, you can still play a key role in immunizations as educators and facilitators. We urge you to provide your patients with accurate information regarding influenza immunizations, including referral to a community provider, particularly for those patients in high-risk groups. You can find more information on the AHS website.
Yes, contact the site directly to coordinate any offsite influenza services you are planning to provide.
Keep in mind that the Code of Ethics and Standards of Practice for Pharmacists and Pharmacy Technicians still apply when providing a pharmacy service outside of a pharmacy. In particular, note Principle 4.6 of the Code of Ethics regarding patient privacy, and Standards 16 through 18 regarding ensuring proper procedures and environment (Standard 16), ensuring patient safety (Standard 17), and creating and maintaining patient records (Standard 18).
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