Toronto - More children in Canada now have access to important disease-preventing vaccines than ever before as a result of nationwide efforts to enhance immunization programs in Canada. With the introduction of new immunization programs across Canada, an additional 450,000 children each year can obtain publicly funded vaccines for protection against serious infections such as meningitis, blood infections, pneumonia, ear infections, chicken pox and whooping cough. The vaccines have been introduced by the provinces and territories following funding by the Government of Canada to improve the availability of vaccines. "This represents tremendous progress toward improving universal access to vaccines in Canada," said Carolyn Bennett, Minister of State (Public Health), at the launch today of National Immunization Awareness Week. National Immunization Awareness Week is organized in Canada to highlight the importance of immunization in preventing the return of disease and controlling emerging infections. "The collaboration between national, provincial and local public health organizations in funding and implementing new immunization programs will go a long way toward improving the health status of hundreds of thousands of infants and adolescents in Canada," Minister Bennett added. "Publicly-funded vaccinations are an excellent tool to reduce serious illness and death in our most vulnerable population - children", said Dr. Sheela Basrur, Ontario's Chief Medical Officer of Health. "Thanks to this expanded program, these vaccines are free, easy to access, and extremely effective." The Government of Canada committed $300 million last year to support the introduction by the provinces and territories of new vaccines to protect children from pneumococcal disease, meningococcal disease, chicken pox and whooping cough. Since that time, the provinces and territories have put in place programs that fund one or more of these vaccines. The new vaccines add to the current immunization programs for tetanus, diphtheria, polio, whooping cough, invasive Hib infections, measles, mumps, rubella and hepatitis B. Universal access to immunization is one of the goals of the National Immunization Strategy (NIS), a plan developed with input from the federal, provincial and territorial governments and interested stakeholders to address current issues in immunization. Dr. Ian Gemmill, Co-chair of the Canadian Coalition for Immunization Awareness and Promotion (CCIAP) - a group of 26 member organizations that promotes immunization for all ages - applauded the advancements in immunization programming in Canada. "Vaccines provide the most effective, longest-lasting method of preventing infectious diseases in all ages. The fact that more individuals now have access to these vaccines is a great step forward for the health of our communities, and especially for the health of our children," Dr. Gemmill said. While Canada has one of the highest rates of immunization in the world, Dr. Gemmill noted that some children, and many adolescents and adults, are not keeping their immunizations up-to-date and they are not getting all the available vaccines, leaving them unprotected and increasing the risk of spreading disease to those around them. Canada's National Immunization Awareness Week, April 24-30, coincides with "Vaccination Week in the Americas" organized by the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO). From Nunavut in the north, to the Caribbean islands, to the tip of Tierra del Fuego in South America, public health authorities will highlight the need for routine vaccinations to keep their populations healthy. -30- Backgrounders: Improved vaccine availability National Immunization Strategy For more information on National Immunization Awareness Week, please see: www.immunize.cpha.ca Media inquiries Tricia Geddes Office of the Minister of State (Public Health) Tel: (613) 941-8081 Public Health Agency of Canada Media Relations Aggie Adamczyk Tel: (613) 941-8189 Ontario Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care Media Relations Dan Strasbourg (416) 314-6197 Toronto Public Health Anita Zutis Tel: (416) 338-7878 Canadian Coalition for Immunization Awareness and Promotion Mary Appleton Tel: (613) 725-3769, ext. 139
