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Vaccination coverage in Canada

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About vaccination coverage

Canada monitors vaccination coverage on a regular basis to:

We do a survey every 2 years to track coverage for all vaccines recommended by the National Advisory Committee on Immunization.

Why getting vaccinated is important

When you're vaccinated, you build immunity (ability to resist infection). This protects you from getting the disease and prevents you spreading it to others. Some vaccines protect you for several years and some protect you for the rest of your life.

The more people who are vaccinated in the community, the lower the risk of infection for those who:

When you're vaccinated, you help to create community immunity, sometimes called herd immunity. You protect both yourself and those around you.

The more contagious a disease, the more we need high vaccination coverage to reach community immunity. For measles, the most contagious vaccine-preventable disease, we need coverage rates as high as 95%.

Monitoring vaccination coverage using immunization registries

The Public Health Agency of Canada is working with provinces and territories to develop a new surveillance system for vaccination coverage. This system is called Standardized Reporting on Immunization (STARVAX). Provinces and territories use their immunization registry to produce standardized reports on vaccination. They use the same methods, so results are comparable and can be combined.

As of October 2024, 5 provinces and 1 territory (Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia and Yukon) have submitted reports to STARVAX.

By combining reports submitted by participating provinces and territories, we have seen a routine childhood vaccination coverage in 2-year-old children between 2019 and 2023.

Figure 1. Coverage for measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) and diphtheria, tetanus and acellular pertussis vaccines (DTaP) in 2-year-old children in Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, New Brunswick and Yukon
Figure 1
Figure 1 - Text description
Year DTaP (≥ 4 doses): Percentage vaccinated MMR (≥ 1 dose): Percentage vaccinated
2019 79.9% 89.5%
2020 77.9% 87.9%
2021 74.5% 84.5%
2022 70.9% 81.3%
2023 72.1% 82.5%

Learn more:

COVID-19 vaccination coverage in Canada

Access data on the vaccination coverage for COVID-19 vaccines by demographics in Canada.

COVID-19 vaccination coverage in Canada

Supporting provincial and territorial immunization registries

The Public Health Agency of Canada works with the provinces and territories to develop tools and best practices, so that they can best manage their vaccination programs. Most provinces and territories have an electronic immunization registry for their jurisdiction, in order to:

How we calculate the numbers for vaccination coverage

We estimate the percentages of people vaccinated for vaccine-preventable diseases.

For example, to calculate vaccination coverage for pertussis (whooping cough) in 2-year-olds, we:

Results from vaccination coverage surveys

Adult National Immunization Coverage Survey (aNICS)

aNICS measured coverage for vaccines recommended for adults. As of 2018, some questions from the aNICS were merged into the Seasonal Influenza Vaccination Coverage Survey.

Childhood Immunization Coverage Survey in Key Populations (KPCICS)

The KPCICS is comprised of four surveys aimed at investigating recommended routine childhood and COVID-19 immunization uptake among children (≤17 years of age) from key parent populations in Canada. The KPCICS assesses parents' attitudes, beliefs and barriers regarding recommended routine childhood (including flu)and COVID-19 vaccines, as well as vaccine hesitancy and refusal, reasons for hesitancy, and its impact on recommended routine immunizations. The four parent populations of focus include: 2SLGBTQI+ and men who have sex with men (MSM) Parents, Recent Immigrant Parents, Indigenous Parents and Health Care Worker Parents.

Childhood National Immunization Coverage Survey (cNICS)

cNICS measures coverage for all vaccines given to infants, children and teens every second year.

Childhood Seasonal Immunization Coverage Survey (CSICS)

CSICS targets Canadian parents and guardians with children under 18 years of age. It aims to understand COVID-19 and seasonal influenza coverage levels in children. It was previously known as the Childhood COVID-19 Immunization Coverage Survey (CCICS).

Mpox Immunization Coverage Survey among 2SLGBTQI+ and MSM

This survey assesses mpox vaccination status, intent to vaccinate, concerns about mpox, knowledge of, attitudes towards, beliefs and barriers to the mpox vaccine among 2SLGBTQI+ and MSM people aged 18 years old and older living in Canada.

Seasonal Influenza Vaccination Coverage Survey

The Seasonal Influenza Vaccination Coverage Survey measures coverage for the flu shot in adults every year. Every second year, it measures other adult vaccines as well.

Survey on Vaccination during Pregnancy (SVP)

The SVP measures the uptake of pertussis and influenza vaccination in pregnant women.

Vulnerable and Hard-to-Reach Populations COVID-19 Immunization Coverage Survey (VHCICS)

The VHCICS assesses vaccine status (like COVID-19, flu, RSV), intent to vaccinate, knowledge of, attitudes towards, beliefs and barriers to the COVID-19 vaccine among 11 vulnerable and hard-to-reach populations in Canada. The populations of focus include: people with lower education, people with lower income, Indigenous people, younger adults, recent immigrants, visible minorities, people living in rural or remote locations, people who use drugs, health care worker, industry workers, transportation workers, specifically truck drivers.

Canadian Community Health Survey (CCHS) Secondary Analysis

These secondary analyses of the CCHS assessed inequalities in COVID-19 vaccine uptake at the national level.

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