Federal government taps Deloitte for vaccination tracking system
The federal government has given Deloitte Canada a $16-million contract to create a computer system that manages the vaccine rollout nationally.
The new system "will help manage vaccine rollout, administration, and reporting on a go-forward basis, as the volume of deliveries increases," according to an announcement from Public Services and Procurement Canada.
548,000 doses have already been distributed to the provinces and territories as of last Thursday, according to the federal government.
Deloitte Canada, the largest accounting and consulting firm in the country, was awarded the contract after the government made a request for proposals from a select number of companies. Deloitte’s member firms have been picking up numerous pandemic response contracts with governments across the globe, filling in technical gaps and helping deliver important projects on compressed timelines.
The federal government does have an existing computer system which is primarily used to track flu inoculations. Procurement Minister Anita Anand told the CBC that “the goal of this additional procurement was to enhance the capabilities across the country to ensure that we have the most seamless IT system possible as we go through this complex period in our country's history."
According to federal health officials, Deloitte’s work will add to the effectiveness of the national system and connect it to the different vaccination management systems being used at the provincial level. The government didn’t say when the new system would be operational.
The provinces each have their own technical approach to vaccination tracking. Ontario, for example, has been developing COVaxON – which is based on existing technology and plugs into the province’s immunization database. However, only hospitals are currently using COVaxON, though the province says the system will be extended to all doctors and pharmacies as distribution ramps up.
Health experts at the Ontario Medical Association believe the country should have a nationwide, digital system to track all vaccinations in real time. This would enable the government to know who has been vaccinated, track what vaccines have been used, identify gaps in uptake, and track adverse reactions and batch efficacy, according to the OMA.
