Trends of Pharmacist and General Practitioner-Administered Influenza Vaccinations on Vaccine Uptake and Influenza-related Hospitalizations in Ontario

Summary

Client: Sanofi Pasteur Canada

Project ID: P2018-049 / 2020 0970 212 000

Research Question/Objectives: Annual seasonal influenza epidemics remain a serious public health concern each year across Canada. Influenza vaccines are the most effective method to prevent influenza and its related complications. In Ontario, pharmacists were authorized under the Universal Influenza Immunization Program (UIIP) in 2012 to administer influenza vaccines to people 5 years and older. The research being proposed will utilize linked health administrative databases to perform a long-term analysis of the administration of influenza vaccine by pharmacists in Ontario and examine temporal and geographic trends in influenza and pneumonia hospitalizations.

Specifically, the research objectives are:

Identify month-to-month (and year-to-year) changes in influenza immunization trends among family physicians and pharmacists after changes were implemented to Ontario’s pharmacy immunization policy.
Compare and contrast the immunization trends (month-to-month) among family physicians and pharmacies by several meaningful demographic, health-related, and socioeconomic stratifications (e.g. age group, geography, etc.).
Examine geographic and temporal trends in influenza/pneumonia.

Status: Completed

Results: