Canada's pandemic vaccine strategy.

The Public Health Agency of Canada has a mandate to prepare and respond to public health events, including influenza pandemics. Pandemic preparedness requires a multifaceted approach with collaboration from all levels of government. The Canadian Pandemic Influenza Preparedness: Planning Guidance for the Health Sector (CPIP) is a guidance document that outlines key health sector preparedness activities designed to ensure Canada is ready to respond to the next influenza pandemic. This article, the first in a series, outlines Canada's pandemic influenza vaccine strategy as described in the CPIP annex on vaccines. The strategy encompasses all elements of a vaccine program including prioritization of the initial vaccine distribution, securing a pandemic vaccine supply, regulatory approval of a pandemic vaccine, vaccine safety, distribution and storage of the vaccine, allocation and vaccine uptake.