Adverse Event Following Immunization Reporting

Communicable Disease Control

Note: The reporting information below is for health care practitioner use only. If you are a member of the general public and need to report an adverse event following immunization, please call Health Link at 811 or contact your health provider.

You have a crucial role in monitoring vaccine safety in Alberta…

Step 1

Advise patients to contact you if they have an adverse event after immunization.

Step 2

Report the adverse event to Alberta Health Services (AHS) Provincial AEFI Team

Please do NOT report immunization errors on this form

How?

Connect Care users - complete the AEFI Report Form in Connect Care.
Non-Connect Care users - complete and submit the AEFI report form.

OR

If unable to complete the form, call 1-855-444-2324 (1-855-444-CDCI)

Note:

  • The reporting information below is for health care practitioner use only
  • Data from Alberta's AEFI reports contribute to provincial immunization program evaluation as well as to the national AEFI surveillance. The Canadian Adverse Events Following Immunization Surveillance System (CAEFISS) is a federal, provincial and territorial (FPT) public health post-market vaccine safety surveillance system. CAEFISS is managed by the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) and is unique in that it includes both passive (spontaneous reports from Federal agencies, Provinces and Territories) and active surveillance.
  • The general public may report an adverse event following immunization by calling Health Link at 811 or by contacting their health provider

Why?

The Public Health Act mandates that any health care practitioner (HCP) who becomes aware of an adverse event following immunization must report the event to the AHS provincial AEFI team.

What Needs to be Reported?

Anything that meets the definition of an AEFI.

An AEFI is defined as an unfavourable health occurrence experienced by a patient that:

  • Follows immunization
  • Cannot be attributed to a pre-existing condition and
  • Meets one or more of the following as determined by a health practitioner:
    • A life-threatening health occurrence that requires hospitalization or urgent medical attention.
    • The health occurrence is unusual or unexpected that:
      • Has not previously been identified; or
      • Has been previously identified but has increased frequency
    • The health occurrence cannot be explained by the patient’s medical history, recent disease or illness or consumption of medication.

When?

Within three (3) days.

Adverse Events Following Immunization must be reported to the AHS AEFI team within three (3) days of the health practitioner determining or being informed that a patient has had an AEFI that has not yet been reported.

For additional information, please refer to the Adverse Events Following Immunization (AEFI) Policy for Alberta Immunization Providers.