Report an Adverse Event Following Immunization or cold chain incident

Adverse Event Following Immunization (AEFI) reporting

An AEFI is an unwanted or unexpected health effect that happens after someone receives a vaccine, which may, or may not, be caused by the vaccine.

In Ontario, health care providers are legally required to report AEFIs to their local public health units. Public health units investigate AEFIs Adverse Event Following Immunization and provide support to immunizers, individuals, and their families.

Fax an AEFI report form to KFL&A Public Health at 613-549-0985.

Learn more with the AEFI Reporting Fact Sheet.

Cold chain incident reporting

Vaccines must be kept between 2°C to 8°C to ensure the vaccines stay as potent and effective as possible. When the vaccine storage refrigerator varies above or below these temperatures, this is known as a cold chain incident and must be immediately reported to KFL&A Public Health. This includes minor excursions between +1.5 to 2.0°C, and +8.0 to 8.5°C. If a cold chain incident occurs:

1- Separate the exposed vaccines in the refrigerator by placing these vaccines in a labelled container or bag. Mark DO NOT USE. If the refrigerator is not currently stable, move the vaccines to a stable monitored vaccine refrigerator or cooler as per your contingency plans.

2- Call KFL&A Public Health at 613-549-1232 or 1-800-267-7875 and ask to speak to the immunization nurse. A manager is on call after-hours.

3- Check to ensure your temperature monitoring device is working correctly. Ask yourself:

Is it in the correct place?
Does the battery need to be changed?

4- After checking the temperature monitoring device and the refrigerator, record the date, time, and current maximum and minimum temperatures and record them in your logbook.

5- Fax the following information to 613-549-0985.

The most up-to-date temperature logbook, including the previous two weeks worth of temperatures.

Completed Cold Chain Incident Inventory form.

6- Do not discard any of the exposed vaccines until KFL&A Public Health has assessed whether any of the vaccines may still be used.

Failure to report temperature excursions will result in suspension from ordering additional doses of publicly funded vaccine.

Immunization records

Help your patients maintain an integrated immunization record by reporting administered vaccines to KFL&A Public Health. Our team will enter the immunization records into Panorama (Ontario’s provincial immunization system).

Reporting electronically

Get set up with electronic immunization reporting.

Email immunization@kflaph.ca with the name of your facility and the names and email addresses of the staff who will be sending the immunization records.
Once you are set up, you can pull an immunization report from your electronic medical record every two to four weeks and upload it to your facility’s secure folder in SharePoint (you will be sent a link).

Reporting by fax

After administering vaccines to eligible high risk patients and school-aged children, fax a High Risk and School Publicly Funded Immunization Program Reporting form to KFL&A Public Health at 613-549-0985.

After administering routine vaccines to children (zero to 17 years of age), fax a Childhood vaccines given by physicians form to KFL&A Public Health at 613-549-0985.

Immunization record requests

To request a patient’s immunization record from KFL&A Public Health:

Fax the request to 613-549-0985, or
call KFL&A Public Health at 613-549-1232, or 1-800-267-7875.