Vaccine Distribution

Publicly funded vaccines and biologicals are provided free of charge to physicians and other eligible facilities in the Grey Bruce area.  They are ordered directly from the Health Unit and orders are filled weekly, and are distributed to area outside of the Owen Sound and Walkerton offices. Orders from facilities within the vicinity of the Health Units are to be picked up personally by each facility – those from facilities outside of Owen Sound and Walkerton are distributed by courier. 

All facilities must have cold chain protocols in place and have an inspection done by a Health Unit “cold chain nurse” prior to the Health Unit distributing any vaccine.

It is important to maintain the “cold chain” by ensuring that your office’s Ministry Of Health cooler is kept within the required temperature range of between +2°C and +8°C until transfer to a refrigerator that is also kept within that temperature range.  

To Order Vaccine

Prior to placing your first order, call the Owen Sound office at 519-376-9420 or 1-800-263-3456, to arrange for a visit from the “cold chain nurse” assigned to your area.

To place subsequent orders, complete the Vaccine Order Fax form and fax to the Grey Bruce Health Unit at (519) 376 7782. 

Vaccine Storage and Handling Guidelines (aka “Cold Chain”)

Vaccine Storage and Handling Guidelines are provided by the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care.  This government website link will provide you with information about the importance of maintaining cold chain and fact sheets on:

• Maintaining vaccine potency
• Minimizing vaccine wastage
• Storing and handling vaccines
• Returning spoiled and expired vaccines
• Maintaining fridge temperatures
• Problem Solving
• Utilizing the digital max/min thermometer

Contact the Public Health Unit, Vaccine Preventable Diseases Program, if you have further questions about cold chain and the vaccine storage and handling guidelines, or to order a hard copy of the guidelines.