Inpatient Immunization Process

• Physician writes the order for vaccine
• Pharmacy collects the orders for vaccine
• Designated nurse (may be trained LPN or RN) picks up the order from Pharmacy
• Designated nurse matches quantity of vaccine (if vaccine available) from Pharmacy
• Designated nurse assesses the immunization order
• Nurse mixes and administers the vaccine in multiples of 10 (a single vial has 24 hour stability once mixed. Each vial is enough for 10 patients.
• NOTE: the vaccine may be in short supply and and do not waste supply. As the criteria for vaccination increases and more patients are eligible will be easier to cohort in multiples of 10.
• NOTE: if a site has very few inpatients requiring vaccination consider sendiing the patient to a Public Health Unit for vaccinations to prevent wastage of the vaccine.
  

Roles and Responsibilities

Pharmacist

• Collect faxed orders
• Provide vaccination to the designated inpatients nurse

Designated Inpatient Nurse

• Receive copies of vaccine orders and the vaccine from Pharmacy
• Assemble the orders in batches of 10
• As per product information, mix vaccine
• Assessment of the influenza Immunization Order

This function should only be delegated to adequately trained nurses.  If the hospital does not have this resource, then patient should be referred after discharge to public health clinics for the vaccination.

Related information: Vaccine supply for eligible acute inpatients.