CPHA Canvax

Project Title:  Creation of a Canadian Immunization Resource Centre
Funding Recipient:  Canadian Public Health Association 
Project Contact:  Chandni Sondagar – Senior Project Officer (csondagar@cpha.ca) 
Project Period:  July 1st, 2017 – March 31st, 2021


About the Project 

The Canadian Public Health Association (CPHA) is developing a bilingual online immunization resource centre entitled, “Canadian Vaccination Evidence Resource and Exchange Centre”, also known as CANVax, that will house evidence based products and resources to support those who work to improve vaccine acceptance and uptake in Canada. The target audience for this project, described as immunization program and promotional managers (IPMs), are public health professionals who are responsible for the planning, development, implementation and promotion of immunization programs. This group includes, but is not limited to, immunization program developers, planners and managers, health promoters and educators, and public health and health care leaders and decision makers that operate within, and at, a health systems level across various sectors and organizations.

With the aim of developing a comprehensive and centralized evidence based resource centre, CPHA, through the engagement of project partners, stakeholders and the target audience, is exploring ongoing immunization resource gaps and identifying priority needs and emerging trends and issues. Results of the assessment will be used to guide the scanning, curating and cataloguing of resources, products and tools to be included in CANVax. Throughout the project CPHA, via CANVax, will highlight promising and best practices and make available concise summaries and knowledge tools based on literature reviews of select topics in immunization, including immunization uptake, acceptance and emerging trends and issues.  

Goals, Objectives and Outcomes 

Despite the wealth of immunization related information and resources that are available, not all are easily accessible or known. This project plays an important role, not only in increasing access to information and resources, but also in closing the gap to the inequity that exists to the access and knowledge of information and resources available across Canada. CPHA anticipates the project, through the development of CANVax and its resources will provide the target audience with evidence based information and resources to increase their understanding, awareness and capacity to improve vaccine acceptance and coverage in Canada. Furthermore, continued engagement of the target audience at all levels will encourage collaboration and facilitate an increase in organizational knowledge and capacity to ultimately lead to systems level change at the community, regional, and provincial/territorial levels.  

The challenge that the project addresses

A significant body of multifaceted and multidisciplinary research is being developed within the Canadian immunization community to understand and address the growing challenges in improving vaccine acceptance and uptake. Despite the development of relevant research data, tools and strategies, not all of these resources are made easily available and accessible to support health care professionals growing needs. As the volume of scientific publications and tools grow, public health professionals face challenges to remain up-to-date. Studies have shown that the knowledge, attitudes and beliefs of health care professionals about vaccines play an important role in determining their own vaccine uptake, their recommendation of vaccines to their patients and vaccine uptake among their patients

About the Canadian Public Health Association 

Founded in 1910, the Canadian Public Health Association (CPHA) is the independent voice for public health in Canada with links to the national and international communities. As the only Canadian non-governmental organization focused exclusively on public health, CPHA is uniquely positioned to advise decision-makers about healthy public policy and to guide initiatives to help safeguard the personal and community health of Canadians and people around the world.

CPHA is a national, not-for-profit, voluntary membership-based association. CPHA’s members believe in universal and equitable access to the basic conditions that are necessary to achieve health for all. CPHA’s mission is to enhance the health of people in Canada and to contribute to a healthier and more equitable world.