Positions
Positions
Healthy Ageing
Focusing on At-Risk Groups
People with chronic diseases are at greater risk to vaccine preventable diseases and associated complications, however vaccine coverage is suboptimal. Though people with non-communicable diseases may deal with multiple health concerns, it is critical that vaccination is prioritized appropriately.
The Business Case
Addressing Barriers
Recognizing and addressing key barriers to vaccination including access, knowledge, and data limitations are essential to help build capacity for improvement within and across countries.
Campaigns and Public Health Messages
There is a need for evidence-based campaigns and public health messages promoting vaccination across the life course, targeted to at-risk groups such as older adults and those with chronic disease.
Vaccine Safety

Pneumococcal disease is a leading cause of hospitalization and mortality in Canada. There is a high prevalence of this disease amongst populations that are most at-risk of serious complications from infection, such as older adults in long-term care settings.
The ‘Driving the agenda of pneumococcal pneumonia vaccination in at-risk populations in community and long-term care’ study was conducted to understand the status of existing public health policies and campaigns on pneumococcal disease in community and long-term care settings and its implications on the uptake of pneumococcal vaccination. The report highlights policy gaps for pneumococcal vaccination across long-term care settings in Canada and accordingly provides recommendations for policy improvements.
Pneumococcal disease is a leading cause of hospitalization and mortality in Canada. There is a high prevalence of this disease amongst populations that are most at-risk of serious complications from infection, such as older adults in long-term care settings. Check out the technical report to learn more.