Vaccination Information for Healthcare Professionals

Publicly-funded vaccines are available to the public in order to reduce the burden of vaccine preventable diseases in Ontario. Healthcare providers can order publicly-funded vaccines through York Region Public Health if they meet the minimum standards under the Vaccine Storage and Handling Protocol, 2018 (or as current). This section also provides information on how to report an adverse storage condition also known as a cold chain incident, or an adverse event following immunization.

Vaccine Storage & Handling Training Videos: Register to watch these instructional vaccine videos about transporting, storing and handling publicly-funded vaccines.

Recent Notices

Older notices are posted in the Archive section below.

Universal Influenza Immunization Program (UIIP)

Ontario’s Universal Influenza Immunization Program (UIIP) provides publicly funded influenza vaccine for individuals aged 6 months or older who live, work or attend school in Ontario. The objectives of the UIIP program are to maximize use and minimize wastage of influenza vaccine doses purchased by Ontario. This is achieved by working with the OGPMSS to optimize the efficiency of influenza distribution.

Once YRPH receives its flu vaccine allocation from OGPMSS, flu vaccine orders received from health care providers are processed by our Vaccine Inventory team as quickly as possible. Vaccine orders are then shipped to our various office locations where health care providers will then be contacted to pick up their order. For more information on influenza and the UIIP go to the Ministry of Health’s website www.ontario.ca/influenza.​​​

Healthcare Provider Forms

Healthcare providers who wish to set up a new account with York Region Public Health to store and administer publicly-funded vaccines, must complete: New Healthcare Provider Application Form

Please e-mail your completed form to @email.  If your facility qualifies for an on-site cold chain inspection, a member of the Vaccine Inventory Team will be in contact.

Healthcare providers with existing York Region Public Health account who need to update their account profile, contact information, status, or report a moved, replacement, or new additional vaccine refrigerator, must complete: ​​​​Request to Update Vaccine Ordering Account Profile

Please e-mail your completed form to @email.  If an on-site cold chain inspection of your facility refrigerator is required, a member of the Vaccine Inventory Team will be in contact.

Vaccine Order Forms

To order publicly-funded vaccines, please e-mail your vaccine order form to @email or fax to 905-830-0578. If you have any general enquires about the vaccine order forms or vaccine distribution, please contact the Vaccine Inventory program at 1-877-464-9675 ext. 74033.

Publicly Funded Vaccines Order Form - ** updated as of September 14, 2021 **

High risk vaccines may be ordered for eligible patients at high risk of contracting Hepatitis A, Hepatitis B, Human Papillomavirus (HPV), Meningococcal Diseases, Haemophilus influenza type B (Hib) and Polio (IPV). Vaccine orders for high-risk patients must be submitted by email to @email or fax to 905-830-0578.

High-Risk Vaccines Order Form for Hepatitis A, Human Papillomavirus (HPV), Meningococcal B, Meningococcal C-ACYW-135, Haemophilus influenza type B (Hib) and Polio (IPV)

High-Risk Hepatitis B Vaccine Order Form

Grade 7 School Vaccines Order Form for Hepatitis B, Human Papillomavirus (HPV), Meningococcal C-ACYW-135 for students who are unable to be immunized in a York Region Public Health community or school immunization clinic. Vaccine orders for students must be submitted by email to @email or fax to 1-866-258-2026. Please encourage your patients or their parents/guardians to report doses received to York Region Public Health.

Please note:  As of May 2022, York Region Public Health community immunization clinics have restarted  for immunizations against Hepatitis B, Human Papillomavirus (HPV) and Meningococcal ACYW-135 for eligible students. Please encourage your patients to book an appointment at an immunization clinic online or call Access York at 1-877-464-9675, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday to Friday.

Vaccine Storage and Handling

Before ordering publicly-funded vaccines, each refrigeration unit must be inspected to ensure it meets the minimum standards under the Ministry’s Vaccine Storage and Handling Protocol, 2018 (or as current). York Region Public Health staff will install a digital minimum-maximum thermometer in every vaccine storage refrigeration unit and provide instructions on the proper storage and handling of vaccines. Once the cold chain inspection is complete and before a vaccine order can be processed, you must e-mail or fax a temperature log with a minimum of five (5) continuous business days of temperature readings that shows the refrigeration unit is functioning between the acceptable range of +2.0°C to +8.0°C. You can e-mail refrigeration temperature logs to @email or fax to 905-830-0578.

Temperature logs must accompany each subsequent vaccine order which includes all temperature recordings from the date your previous order was placed.

If vaccine refrigerator temperatures go below +2.0°C or above +8.0°C, you must immediately contact the Vaccine Inventory program at 1-877-464-9675 ext. 74065 for further direction. Do not administer vaccines until an adverse storage condition (ASC) investigation has been completed by York Region Public Health to determine viability of the vaccines.

Storage and Handling Resources

Vaccine Wastage and Return

The Ministry requires that healthcare providers store no more than one (1) month supply of publicly-funded vaccines in order to prevent overstocking and minimize vaccine wastage. Vaccines are expensive biological agents that can cost upwards of $185 per dose. Once vaccines expiry, it is important to remove the vaccine from the refrigeration unit and clearly label them “Wastage – Do Not Use” in order to prevent the administration of expired products to patients. Vaccines without a specified date (Example: July 2020) are viable until the last day of the month (Example: July 31, 2020).

Non-Reusable Vaccines Wastage Form for Health Care Providers

All vaccine wastage returns must be accompanied with a completed wastage form. Do not return other drugs (e.g., antibiotics, antivirals, birth control, etc.) or medical or blood products (e.g., lab specimen kits, syringes, needles, etc.) that were not distributed by the Vaccine Inventory program.

Vaccine Recall Information

There are no vaccine recalls at this time.

Reporting an Adverse Event Following Immunization (AEFI)

An AEFI is an event or reaction that occurs following immunization that may or may not be caused by the vaccine. Health care providers are required to report AEFIs to York Region Public Health under the Health Promotion and Protection Act.

Consult the Factsheet for Healthcare Providers for more information about AEFIs and when they should be reported.

To report an AEFI:

  • Complete an adverse event form, or download the form and complete, then fax the completed form to York Region Public Health at 905-898-5213, or
  • Call our Nurses Line at 1-877-464-9675, ext. 73452


Annual Report on Vaccine Safety in Ontario, 2017

Immunization Clinics

York Region Community and Health Services offer regularly scheduled community immunization clinics where both mandatory and voluntary vaccines are available to York Region school-aged children. For more information, visit Immunization Clinics.

Archive of Notices

Related Resources

Resources for Health Professionals