New Projects Funded Under the Immunization Partnership Fund

April 2019

The Government of Canada launched the Immunization Partnership Fund in 2016. This fund provides up to $3 million per year to support projects aimed at improving vaccination coverage in Canada in three priority areas:

• Enabling healthcare providers to vaccinate their patients
• Increasing demand for vaccination
• Enhancing access to vaccination services

The Immunization Partnership Fund is supporting the following multi-year projects this year:

Lead organization: Nova Scotia Health Authority (Halifax, NS)

Project Name: Nova Scotia’s Enhanced Immunization Access Project

Description: This project aims to increase vaccination rates by assessing vaccination coverage among students entering school. The project will identify and assess areas and/or specific populations with low coverage rates to determine where low coverage may be due to lack of access to vaccination services or other barriers.

Funding: $683,530 (February 1, 2019 – March 31, 2021)

Lead organization: Institut national de santé publique du Québec (Québec City, QC)

Project Name: HPV Vaccination in Schools: Developing Effective Strategies to Increase Vaccination Coverage

Description: This project will develop and evaluate different interventions aimed at increasing HPV vaccination coverage rates through school-based programs within the province. The project will use motivational interviewing, education and reminder strategies.

Funding: $723,804 (March 15, 2019 – March 31, 2021)

Lead organization: Canadian Association of Midwives (Montreal, QC)

Project Name: Midwives and Vaccination: Delivering evidence-based care

Description: This project will help its leaders gain a stronger understanding of the needs and challenges faced by midwives regarding the availability of information about vaccines and how this knowledge is shared with their clients, including Indigenous clients. It will also increase midwives’ knowledge about vaccines and their skills and abilities when discussing vaccines with their clients, including Indigenous clients. It will lead to the development of appropriate vaccine-related materials that are accessible to midwifery clients.

Funding: $249,644 (April 18, 2019 – March 31, 2020)

Lead organization: Fraser Health Authority in British Columbia (Surrey, BC)

Project Name: Immunization Outreach Services

Description: This outreach project aims to enhance access to vaccination and increase vaccine coverage for two-year olds in the Surrey region by improving services for more vulnerable populations such as hard-to-reach families, Indigenous people, newcomers to Canada, and low-income families.

Funding: $709,175 (January 7, 2019 – March 31, 2021)