Ottawa – On May 5, 2023, the World Health Organization (WHO) announced that COVID-19 is now an established and ongoing health issue and no longer constitutes a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC). Even though the current COVID-19 situation no longer constitutes a global health emergency, vaccines remain the best line of defense as the virus is still circulating across Canada and worldwide.
Through the Vaccine Community Innovation Challenge (VCIC), trusted community leaders are empowered to share credible information on COVID-19 vaccines, helping to stop the spread of misinformation and encourage vaccine confidence. Jean-Yves Duclos, Minister of Health, highlighted an investment of $485,000 through VCIC 2022/2023 to support 38 community-based projects. Seven recipients were each awarded $25,000, and 31 others have each received $10,000.
These projects have and continue to help strengthen vaccine confidence and raise awareness of the importance of being up to date on COVID-19 vaccinations, particularly within communities who experience health and social inequities and have been disproportionately impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Recognizing that community-driven initiatives are fundamental to engaging people where they are and fostering confidence in vaccination, the goal of these projects has been to reach these underserved communities and regions where booster uptake is low to encourage them to increase their protection against COVID-19.
The VCIC is one of the Government of Canada programs that works to engage community partners and stakeholders to increase vaccine confidence and address barriers to getting vaccinated. Other programs include the Immunization Partnership Fund, which was launched in 2016 and supports projects to improve access to vaccination.
“Even though the current COVID-19 situation no longer constitutes a global health emergency, vaccines remain our best line of defense as the virus continues to circulate across the country and worldwide. Through the Vaccine Community Innovation Challenge, we have been able to support community-led initiatives to combat misinformation and help increase vaccine equity and confidence across Canada. Thanks to the innovative and impactful work of the funding recipients, we have and continue to support people, particularly those from equity-seeking groups, in making informed vaccine decisions.” – Jean-Yves Duclos, Minister of Health
“The Vaccine Community Innovation Challenge supports the development of vaccine promotion initiatives that use messaging and messengers that can effectively reach and resonate with individuals in underserved communities. This is important to ensure that groups who experience health and social inequities have access to credible, evidence-based information on vaccines and can make informed vaccination decisions. These community-based projects play a fundamental role in building trust in vaccines.” – Dr Theresa Tam, Chief Public Health Officer of Canada