Table 3.

Examples of information issued by provincial health authorities in Canada regarding changes in immunization programs.

Purpose	Information	Reference
Introduction of MenACWY-Con for adolescents in British Columbia in 2016	Q: why has the school-based pogram changed from Msn-C-C-C program to a MenC-ACYW-135 program?A: BC is replacing the grade 6 MenC-C program with a grade 9 MenC-ACYW-135 program to provide broader protection against meningococcal disease, including that caused by serogroup Y. This quadrivalent vaccine will continue to offer protection against serogroup C, which caused outbreaks in school-age children and young adults in several provinces including BC prior to introduction of the MenC-C vaccine. It will also offer protection against serogroup Y, which has resulted in fatal cases in BC in older teens and young adults. From 2001–2015, 23 cases including 4 deaths from serogroup Y meningococcal disease were reported in BC in those aged 15–24 years. While serogroup W-135 has caused only 3 cases and no deaths in this age group in the same period of time and serogroup A does not occur in North America, these two strains do occur more frequently in other parts of the world and the vaccine will offer this additional protection.	BC Centre for Disease Control, 2016.
Introduction of MenACWY-Con for adolescents in Manitoba in May 2019	Q: when did Manitoba's immunization program start?R: Meningococcal Immunization Program: Started in 2004 and offered in grade 4. The vaccine was not offered in 2017 and 2018 while it transitioned from grade 4 to grade 6. Starting September 2019, meningococcal conjugate quadrivalent (MenC-ACYW-135) vaccine will be offered in grade 6 for those born during or after 2008. No child will have missed the opportunity to be immunized against meningococcal disease.Q: how are decisions made to fund vaccines in Manitoba?R: Manitoba Health, Seniors and Active Living (MHSAL) gathers evidence-based information from a variety of sources, including current research and data (e.g., epidemiology, vaccine safety and effectiveness data, cost-effectiveness data, etc.), programs in other provinces and territories, and recommendations from national and provincial public health expert panels, such as Manitoba's Provincial Vaccine Advisory Committee and the National Advisory Committee on Immunization (NACI). All of these sources of evidence are taken into account to develop recommendations for new vaccine programs and expansions and are weighed by the Province against other competing department initiatives and resources.	Manitoba Health, Seniors and Active Living, 2019.

Note. Serogroup W135 is now called serogroup W.