Immunization & Vaccines

Vaccines are proven to protect people from serious and life-threatening impacts of many communicable diseases.

​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​Immunizations are an important way people of all ages can stay healthy. They are very effective at preventing diseases and the serious problems they cause.

Vaccines teach your body how to recognize and fight off disease-causing germs before you’re exposed to them. If you do become exposed, they protect you from getting seriously sick.

​​​​​​​​​​​​​Important things to know about vaccines

Vaccines work very well at preventing disease, especially serious disease

  • The World Health Organization​ estimates that vaccines prevent 3.5 to 5 million deaths every year around the world.
  • The Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) says that vaccines have saved more lives in the last 50 years than any other health measure.​
  • Vaccines can stop you from getting diseases or from getting seriously sick from diseases. 
  • Vaccines work so well that smallpox has been eradicated, and polio has been eliminated in most parts of the world. Many other communicable diseases, like diphtheria, rubella, and mumps, have become very rare thanks to vaccination.
  • These diseases can come back when less people are vaccinated. For example, we have seen a large increase in measles in many parts of the world, including in Canada. Most cases have happened in people who were not vaccinated or not fully vaccinated.

​Vaccines are much safer than getting the disease

  • ​Vaccines give the best protection against diseases and the serious problems they can cause. People who are not vaccinated and get a vaccine-preventable disease can become very sick, sometimes needing hospital care or even dying.​

Getting vaccinated helps protect others

  • When more people are vaccinated in a community, it’s harder for diseases to spread, creating “community immunity” also known as “herd immunity.”
  • Community immunity helps protect people who are at higher risk of getting sick, including 
    • Infants who are too young for some vaccines
    • Young people 
    • Older adults 
    • People with weakened immune systems (e.g., people with cancer) 
    • People who can’t get vaccines for medical reasons

BC’s immunization schedule

An immunization schedule tells you which vaccines you should get and at what age. They have been developed using the best available science on vaccines and the diseases they prevent.


Vaccine recommendations for children

  • Vaccines recommended for children are free of charge in BC.

  • Following the immunization schedule for children gives them the best protection from many serious diseases, including 14 different diseases that can cause long-term  and life-threatening health problems.

  • Children with medical conditions may need more vaccines. Talk to your health care provider about what vaccines your children might need.  

Vaccine recommendations for adults
  • Many vaccines recommended for adults are free of charge but there are some you may need to buy.
  • These vaccines can protect you from illnesses like influenza, pneumonia, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), shingles, and more.
  • People may need more vaccines if they have certain medical or other risk factors such as pregnancy, immunocompromise, sexual activity, or occupational exposure.

Vaccine recommendations for health care workers
​Health care workers are at risk of exposure to communicable diseases while working because of their contact with patients or infectious material from patients. A health care worker includes ​people​ who provide health care to patients or work in institutions that provide patient care.

Health care workers should make sure they are up to date on all routine vaccines. They may also need additional vaccines. Check with an immunization provider to ensure you have received all the recommended vaccines. Most of these vaccines are free, or your employer may cover the cost.
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How vaccines work

​Vaccines teach your body how to recognize and fight off diseases. They do this by showing your body a harmless version of the disease-causing germ. This can be a dead or weakened germ, or only parts of the germ called antigens. Some newer vaccines, like the COVID-19 mRNA vaccines, instruct your body on how to make the antigens, rather than the antigen itself. 

Your immune system responds to a vaccine as if it was the actual germ, and makes a type of protein called antibodies to fight that germ. Later, if you are exposed to the actual germ, your immune system quickly recognizes it and fights it off to prevent you from getting sick.

Combination vaccines

‎Some vaccines protect against more than one disease. These are called combination vaccines. For example, the measles, mumps, and rubella vaccine (MMR), is a combination vaccine that protects against these three diseases. Combination vaccines are just as safe and effective as single vaccines and are convenient because they reduce the number of injections a person needs. 

Protection from getting seriously ill

Sometimes, a person can get protection from the germ if they get a disease, but this comes with the risk of becoming seriously sick, having to get hospital care, and even dying.  ​​

Most vaccines work well at preventing disease, but no vaccine is 100% effective. Even so, people who get infected with a germ after being immunized for it are much less likely to become seriously ill.

Vaccine safety

The vaccines used in Canada are very safe. The side effects people usually get are mild and go away after a few days. Vaccines are among the safest health products available.

Before Health Canada​ approves any vaccine for use, it must go through extensive testing to show that it works and is safe. 

Even after vaccines are approved and used in the population, Health Canada continues to watch out for side effects and how well it’s working.​


How immunization schedules are developed in BC​

​In Canada, the National Advisory Committee on Immunization (NACI) looks at all the scientific evidence on vaccines, including how well they work and how safe they are. NACI then makes recommendations on how vaccines should be used. The committee is made up of experts in children’s health, communicable diseases, and public health, and they follow strict conflict-of-interest rules.

Each province and territory in Canada use NACI recommendations and other factors to decide which vaccines should be publicly funded, who they should be offered to, and at what ages they should be given. Other factors they consider include:
  • How common a disease is in different places 
  • How common a disease is among different groups of people
  • How serious a disease is for those people
  • How well vaccines work and for how long
  • Possible side effects of vaccines
  • Access to health care where they live
Because of these different factors, immunization schedules can vary between provinces and territories. Some vaccines may be recommended by NACI but not provided free in certain provinces/territories. 

It’s important to talk to your health care provider about the vaccines that are available and recommended for you. Vaccines that are not publicly-funded may be purchased at a local pharmacy, some doctor’s offices, or in travel clinics.

Where to go for more information​

Talk to a health care provider
​Talk to your health care provider about diseases that vaccines can prevent and the risks they carry. They can help you find out if you or your child need to catch up on any vaccinations.  ​

Immunization records

Use the Health Gateway to access immunization records and find out if you or your child need to get up to date on any immunizations. Submit  information about any vaccines you received that are missing from your records. 

HealthLink BC
​ HeatlhLink BC has information about
  • ​Vaccine-preventable diseases
  • What vaccines are and how they work
  • The safety of vaccines
  • Recommended vaccines
  • Immunization schedules
  • Immunization record cards 

Immunization education activities
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  • I Boost Immunity offers a series of fun online quizzes to boost vaccine confidence. When participants complete quizzes, vaccines are sent to UNICEF to protect children globally.​
  • Kids Boost Immunity​ offers free curated lessons and interactive quizzes for schools that align with the province’s science, health, and social studies curriculums. 
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