Thought of the Day - June 14 2021 - Foreign Vaccination Reporting

As we have talked about ( Thought of the Day - May 11 2021 - Vaccine Wars ), the Federal government confirmed a while ago that they had no plans to provide a process for Canadians to be able to report vaccinations received outside of the country. In short, there is no national registry. Instead, reporting processes need to be implemented province by province.

This has created a challenge for many snowbirds now flocking back to Canada. Many, who have tried to register COVID-19 vaccines they received in the U.S. with their appropriate provincial health ministries, have faced a number of hurdles. This includes hard-to-find and conflicting information about how and where to register, as well as cumbersome registration processes. Indeed, most provinces are now working on processes for recording COVID-19 vaccines received outside Canada.

Of course, registering COVID-19 vaccines received outside the country is important for a number of reasons, including:

1. Influencing Public Health Restrictions Canada: As mentioned, most public health restrictions are now tied to vaccination rates. By not including those who have been vaccinated elsewhere in the statistics, governments are under-counting the number of vaccinated Canadians, which could mean it will take longer for things to open up ( Thought of the Day - June 8 2021 - New Brunswick Plays Hardball );

2. Vaccine Passports: While we still have no concrete plans or even guidance on how vaccine passports will be issued here in Canada, ensuring your status, if you have subscribed to vaccination, could still be paramount in participating in travel, events and promotions that have vaccination requirements ( Thought of the Day - April 29 2021 - Vaccine Passports, Thought of the Day - May 14 2021 - Vaccine - Perks);

3. Booster Shots: As there is a good chance that a series of COVID-19 vaccination "boosters" will continue through 2022, having your previous vaccination record registered is an important step in participating in this ongoing vaccination process ( Thought of the Day - June 7 2021 - Which Vaccine to Choose ).

Anyway, I thank those who provided me with some insight into registration options in their home provinces. Here is a compilation of what I have gleaned concerning the current provincial processes - to get you started.

Alberta Anyone who has been immunized outside of the province can drop off a copy of their records at an AHS public health clinic to have those records entered into our system.

• Anyone who got a first dose outside of Alberta is able to receive a second dose - when eligible. If they do, the first dose they received is manually added to the provincial system (a more automated process is promised for the future).

• Fully vaccinated snowbirds returning to Alberta can also try asking a pharmacist or doctor to add your COVID vaccination to your Alberta health record.

To check your records sign up for an account or log into your existing account at: myhealth.alberta.ca/myhealthrecords British Columbia The B.C. Ministry of Health has provided the following information:

• For B.C. returning snowbirds who have had one shot, should call the B.C. registration booking number (1-833-838-2323) and advise them and book your second shot;

• If fully vaccinated, go to your local public health office with your proof of vaccine from another province or country.

Manitoba If you received a COVID vaccine outside Manitoba and the vaccine that you received is one of the four approved for use in Canada (Pfizer/BioNTech, Moderna, AstraZeneca/Covishield, or Johnson & Johnson/Jannsen), that information can be added to your Manitoba Immunization Record. The information can be submitted by mail, by fax, or dropped off in-person to your local Public Health office.

New Brunswick Those who received their first dose in another jurisdiction can contact Teleservices at 1-833-437-1424 to book a second dose. In addition, you can provide your vaccination details via email at vaccine@gnb.ca.

Newfoundland & Labrador Newfoundland has not provided any information.

Nova Scotia Nova Scotianites who received their first dose outside the province can contact their local public health office to report that they received their COVID-19 vaccination. If you only received one dose, you can receive your second dose in Nova Scotia. The process, at this time, is by request (but they also promise to provide a streamlined process within its centralized booking system). The most up-to-date information on this process is available at: www.novascotia.ca/vaccination.

Ontario On June 9th, Ontario announced that residents who received full or partial vaccines outside the province can contact a local public health office to register vaccination information. Here is the link to a PDF that provides details: https://www.health.gov.on.ca/en/pro/programs/publichealth/coronavirus/docs/vaccine/COVID-19_guidance_for_individuals_vaccinated_outside_of_ontario.pdf

Prince Edward Island

• If you wish to receive your second dose in PEI, you need to bring your first-dose record with you to a clinic; the details will be recorded at the time of the second dose.

• If you received both doses out of province, the PEI government is still working on a process for getting this information into the PEI Immunization Registry; instructions are to be provided soon.
  

Quebec Quebecers who have been vaccinated outside Quebec are able to register their vaccinations with the province. Those who want to do so must make an appointment at a mass-vaccination centre via the Clic Santé website. You can get an appointment to register your vaccine by visiting portal3.clicsante.ca selecting "select a service" and choosing "COVID-19 vaccine received outside Québec". If a second vaccine dose is needed, it can be administered at the same time. Many vaccination centres across Quebec have been designated to register COVID-19 vaccines administered outside the province, this includes Le Palais des congrès and the Olympic Stadium.

Saskatchewan If residents have been vaccinated outside Saskatchewan and want their immunization information captured in their Saskatchewan health record they should visit eHealth Saskatchewan's website at https://www.ehealthsask.ca/ or call at 1‑844‑767‑8259 (and press 3) to learn more.

Cheers

Cliff