COVID-19 Vaccine Program for Long-Term Care, Retirement and Congregate Homes
Discard XBB COVID-19 vaccine as of Sept. 1
As per the Ministry of Health direction, discard any remaining doses of XBB COVID-19 vaccine starting Sept. 1, 2024. XBB COVID-19 vaccine will not be available after this date.
Follow local practices and processes for the destruction of these vaccines. Vaccine sites must update COVaxON with the resulting wastage.
If you don't have product on hand, no action is needed.
Vaccine availability
COVID-19 vaccines are available to long-term care, retirement and congregate homes who are an approved COVID-19 vaccine administration site.
Administering COVID-19 in your facility
- Step 1: Prepare your facility
Email COVaxON Support to get a COVax account or if you need support for an existing account.
COVID-19 vaccine must be stored in your inspected and monitored vaccine fridge between +2.0 C to +8.0 C.
Call Public Health at 905-688-8248 ext. 7396 if your office needs to arrange a fridge inspection.
- Step 2: Order COVID-19 vaccine
To place an order, use the vaccines for long-term care homes order form.
With every vaccine order, your facility must provide a copy of your current four week fridge temperature log (up to present day).
Consider the following before placing an order:
- The number of residents at your home that are due for their next vaccine
- The number of staff at your home that are looking to receive their next vaccine
- Step 3: Reconcile your COVax inventory daily
Document administration of COVID-19 doses in real time.
At the end of each day, review your records to ensure that the doses you have administered and the physical inventory you have remaining on-site match the numbers in COVax. This is an important step to verify if there are any discrepancies.
Track vaccine doses for reconciliation in COVax, such as wastage, extra doses, excursions and patients with no consent for data collection.
Following the completion of a vaccine clinic at your home, email COVax Support an end-of-day summary.
COVID-19 Vaccine Program
Diluent for Pfizer-BioNTech Comirnaty vaccine should be stored between 20 to 25 Celsius.
If temperatures are outside of this range, call the Vaccine Preventable Disease program at 905-688-8248 or 1-888-505-6074 ext. 7396. Storage outside of this range must be tracked and assessed by the manufacturer before use.
Learn about the COVID-19 Vaccine Program.
© Niagara Region - 1815 Sir Isaac Brock Way, Thorold, ON, L2V 4T7 - Phone: 905-980-6000, Toll-free: 1-800-263-7215
