How to Report your Vaccination Status

Why are vaccinations important to Healthcare Workers?

Vaccinations are recommended for health care workers to protect their health and to prevent the spread of communicable diseases between health care workers, patients and their family and friends. The BC Centre for Disease Control (BCCDC) guidelines outline which vaccinations are recommended for health care workers.

For more information, go to the BCCDC Guidelines for Health Care Workers (HCWs) and HealthlinkBC Immunization for HCWs or contact us.

As a new employee, it is important that you report your vaccine and immunity status to ensure that you are protected against communicable diseases that you may potentially be exposed to in the workplace. Many of these diseases that you may be exposed to in the workplace are vaccine-preventable. You should make every effort to report your vaccination status to your employer as soon as possible, preferably before commencing work to reduce your risk.

When you change jobs, sometimes your exposure risk can change It is important to regularly review your vaccination status throughout your employment to ensure that you are up to date with all of the recommended vaccinations based on the exposure risk associated with your job. It is recommended that you review your vaccination report every time you start work in a new department or in a new job by using the employee vaccination and immunity status look up.

Frequently Asked Questions

What do I need before I report my vaccination status?

Obtain your historical immunization records. Reporting is required for: Measles/Mumps/Rubella, Varicella (Chickenpox), Hepatitis B, Tetanus and Diphtheria, Polio, Influenza (most recent immunization if during Influenza Season), and Tuberculosis Screening (TB skin test/chest x-ray).

Before you report your immunization history, please ensure that you have the following ready:

Employee ID #
Immunization records/tests including:

Infant, school, occupational and travel records
TB skin test results and/or TB chest x-ray reports

If you do not have your records, you may be able to obtain them from your family physician, Public Health, your post-secondary school, or travel clinics.

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Where do I report my vaccination status?

Report your vaccination status online at: https://healthandsafety.healthcarebc.ca

For more information, review our step-by-step guide for completing the online tool. Note: If you choose to email, you will still be required to submit proof of your vaccination records
Additional information can be found by reviewing the list of vaccinations recommended for Health Care Workers

If you are unable to use the online tool, you can call the Provincial Workplace Health Contact Centre at 1-866-922-9464 (select Option 1) even if you do not have your records.

What happens after I have reported?

Your vaccine and immunity records will be documented in the employee database. The communicable disease exposure management nursing team will advise if any further vaccines or tests are recommended with details of vaccination clinics and/or services in your area to obtain your vaccinations. ‎

What if I am not vaccinated?

It is important that all health care workers are vaccinated as recommended by the BC Centre for Disease Control. If you do not have documented immunity and/or do not have the recommended vaccinations, please refer to your employer's policy to determine whether you will need to follow additional PPE (personal protective equipment) requirements while at work. It is also important to note that you may be restricted from working in the event of an outbreak or exposure at your worksite if you do not have documentation of immunity and/or vaccination.‎

How do I know which vaccines my employer has on file?

To find your report click on the link associated with your employer:

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What if my self-look up report is missing information?

Over the years documentation and storage of employee vaccination records has transitioned from paper based reporting in paper based filing systems, to electronic records that are house in secure databases. While most of the historical records have been transferred into an electronic form by the local Health Authorities, some records may still exist in paper form only. If you think there is information missing from your report you can resubmit a copy of your original vaccination and/or laboratory records to update your electronic file using the online reporting system: https://healthandsafety.healthcarebc.ca‎

Privacy information to support data collection for communicable disease exposure management

‎PRIVACY NOTICE:

Collection, Use and Disclosure of Personal Information by the Health Authorities and Providence Health Care to support exposure management in response to a case of a communicable disease event, pandemic, or novel pathogen.

On March 1, 2019, Deputy Minister Steve Brown issued a mandate letter to the Health Authorities of BC and Providence Health Care following a significant surge in measles exposure event activity in the province, compromising patient care and worker health. This letter outlines the Ministry's expectation that health authorities follow BC immunization guidelines for health care workers and that all regions implement processes to collect and maintain records of immunization/immunity for all health care workers including physicians. The letter further indicates these records should be maintained in the Workplace Health Indicator Tracking and Evaluation (WHITE) database to facilitate rapid assessment following communicable disease exposures.

The purpose of this notice is to provide you with information about the plans for the collection and use of vaccination/immunity status information about health care workers and medical staff working for the Health Authorities of BC and Providence Health Care to ensure compliance with these vaccination and immunity record requirements and to ensure that we provide employees, staff and patients with a safe and healthy environment.

Vaccination/immunity Status Information of health care workers is collected, used and disclosed by the Health Authorities of BC and Providence Health Care for the purposes of complying with ministry of health expectations and requirements, to ensure that employees are provided with a safe and healthy workplace, to manage the employment relationship, and to enable public health surveillance and health sector planning. Vaccination/immunity status information may also be aggregated and used to assess broader public health and health sector planning needs.

Vaccination/immunity status information will continue to be maintained in a secure information system known as the Workplace Health Indicator Tracking and Evaluation (WHITE) system, which has been in existence for many years and is specifically designed to maintain workplace health and safety information. Only authorized users of the WHITE system will have access to your vaccination/immunity status information, and such access will take place only on a "need to know" basis and for authorized purposes. Users of WHITE do not have access to your personal health number or non-immunity related health records. The system will only provide information verifying whether or not you have been vaccinated or have immunity.

Vaccine and Immunity status information is collected in reliance on the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (FIPPA), sections 26(a),(c), (e), 27(1)(a)(iii), 27(1)(f) and 27(1)(b), the Public Health Act, and the E-Health (Personal Health Information Access and Protection of Privacy) Act.

If you have any questions regarding this privacy notification, including the collection, use or disclosure of personal information, please contact:

Phone: 1-855-229-9800
Email: privacy@phsa.ca