Infection Prevention & Control (IPAC)

A key element of our safety culture for patients, clients, staff, physicians and visitors is the prevention and control of infection. The mandate of IPAC is to prevent infections and control the transmission of infections when they occur.

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New IPAC external webpage is live

Sept. 9, 2025

The Infection Prevention and Control (IPAC) program has launched a new webpage on the external Interior Health website providing access to tools and resources to key external groups whose work involves infection prevention and control.

Previously accessible only to Interior Health (IH) staff via InsideNet, the tools and resources are now housed on a dedicated page on our external site. They include guidance documents, posters, and other resources for use by contractors, students, patients and visitors. While a few IPAC documents will remain internal, nearly all IPAC content will be available on our public site.

Partnerships and knowledge-sharing

This change reflects our focus on strengthening IH partnerships and promoting knowledge-sharing to better support all health-care providers and partners, including the wider IPAC networks within the province and across Canada.

You can access the new IH IPAC webpage at www.interiorhealth.ca/IPAC, or visit the IPAC InsideNet page to be redirected. You can continue to search for IPAC documents on the internal or the external sites’ search features.

More information

If you have any questions, contact the IPAC team.

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Child vaccine FAQs

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It's natural to have questions

How do we know vaccines are safe?

Vaccines go through a rigorous assessment process before approval for public use and are closely monitored afterward. They are tested for safety by Health Canada and, after approval, are authorized for use in this country.

Any side effects following immunization are reported and assessed, and any concerning event is flagged and investigated. Common side effects include a few days of fever and localized tenderness at the injection site. Serious side effects include allergic reactions, like anaphylaxis, which are rare.

Is it safe for my child to get more than one vaccine at the same time?

Getting multiple vaccines at the same visit is safe and will not overwhelm your child’s immune system. The vaccines containing multiple antigens, like DTaP-HB-IPV-Hib, protect children against six different types of diseases and go through a comprehensive assessment and approval process before public use.

The recommendations for receiving multiple vaccines at the same time are provided by Canada’s National Advisory Committee on Immunization (NACI) and are based on an evaluation of the vaccines’ effectiveness and safety. Some vaccines work better when administered together and others work better when administered on their own. 

Is it safe to repeat vaccines? I can’t find my immunization record.

Repeating vaccines is generally considered safe. In some cases, to increase effectiveness and minimize localized tenderness and/or fever, spacing is recommended between repeated vaccine doses.

Are the ingredients in vaccines safe?

Vaccines contain a small amount of other ingredients in addition to the main antigen, which stimulates our immune system to protect us from future infection. The additional components are either needed during the process of a vaccine’s development or after the vaccine’s production to make it more effective and to preserve its content.

They are regulated by Health Canada and are only included in vaccines in safe amounts. Individuals with an allergy to the vaccine components are recommended to get their vaccine with additional precautions.