Dr. Kumanan Wilson and his team at The Ottawa Hospital mHealth Lab created CANImmunize as a way of empowering Canadians to easily track their vaccination records. CANImmunize has grown to become a national platform, allowing people to securely manage their records on their Android and iOS devices, and soon on the web. The team believes the best way to improve vaccination rates is by equipping Canadians with the information they need to make informed decisions about vaccination and easily manage their own information using everyday digital tools. The team has even created a digital comic on vaccinations for the youngest Canadians (click here to learn more). The Ottawa Hospital mHealth Lab manages and maintains CANImmunize with funding from the Public Health Agency of Canada.
Instead of using paper records to track your vaccinations that always get lost or forgotten, what if you could track them on your phone? A mother asked this question to Dr. Kumanan Wilson, a Senior Scientist at the Ottawa Hospital, in a park one day in 2011. This sparked an idea for Dr. Wilson, who, along with engineering student Cameron Bell, made it a reality. A prototype for Ontario called ImmunizeON launched the following year. After a successful release, our team considered the prospect of creating an app that would help people across Canada stay up-to-date with their vaccinations. Led by Dr. Wilson and funded by the Public Health Agency of Canada, our team partnered with Immunize Canada to expand the platform nationally, calling it ImmunizeCA. In 2016, we changed the name to CANImmunize, symbolizing a digital platform that connects Canadians to their own vaccination records. CANImmunize makes it easy for people to stay up-to-date with their vaccinations by sending reminders for when it’s time to be vaccinated.
The app also provides access to information and resources about vaccination from trusted Canadian health sources so people can make informed vaccination decisions for themselves and their families. A recipient of the 2015 Connected to the Community award, CANImmunize is leading the way in digital health in Canada, and a tool which we are proud to call our own. The latest version, CANImmunize Accounts, offers users a more secure way of tracking your vaccinations and accessing them between electronic devices. The app is available for free on iOS and Android devices and will soon be available on the web at www.canimmunize.ca.
The content and resources provided by CANImmunize are generated by the mHealth Lab team of scientists and engineers, and its partners, including medical experts from leading Canadian Health Organizations. The topics covered are relevant to the general Canadian population. All website content undergoes a strict review and approval process by an independent external expert review committee led by Dr. Anne Pham-Huy, Pediatric Infectious Disease Specialist and a liaison committee member for the National Advisory Committee on Immunization, and Dr. Charles Hui, Chief of the Division of Infectious Diseases at the Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario (CHEO). The CANImmunize Knowledge Centre is designed to help you make the most informed decisions about your and your family’s vaccination needs, but should not replace medical advice. No content on the CANImmunize platform implies endorsement.
Allows Canadians to securely store and manage their families' vaccination records on Android and iOS devices, and soon on the web
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Manages your vaccination records between your devices
Provides people with the facts about vaccinations in each province and territory
Allows people to learn about nearby infectious disease outbreaks and check their vaccination status in real-time
Sends notifications when it's time to vaccinate
Offers information and resources about vaccinations for children, adults and travellers from trusted Canadian health sources
