Seasonal Respiratory Vaccination Coverage Survey (SRVCS): About this survey

Information on the SRVCS, vaccination recommendations, methods and data in this report.

Last updated: 2026-05-26

Older versions of this report are available on the archived reports page.

Purpose of this survey

The Seasonal Respiratory Vaccination Coverage Survey (SRVCS) collects information on the uptake of influenza, COVID-19, and Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) vaccines among adults 18 years and older in Canada. It replaced the Seasonal Influenza Vaccination Coverage Survey conducted during every influenza season from 2015–2016 to 2023–2024.

The survey results provide information about how well adults are protected against flu, COVID-19, and RSV and what they know and think about these vaccines. Besides measuring vaccination coverage, the survey results are used to:

measure progress towards achieving Canada's national vaccination coverage goals
understand barriers to vaccination and guide promotion efforts
report Canada's vaccination coverage to the World Health Organization (WHO)

This survey complements the Standardized Reporting on Vaccination (STARVAX). It collects information not available in registries, such as:

sociodemographic data
reasons for non-vaccination
knowledge, attitudes, and beliefs

Moreover, this survey provides national coverage estimates, whereas not all provinces and territories participate in STARVAX.

Methods

The survey is conducted by Léger
Data collection takes place in January and February
Participants are selected by random digit dialing
Interviews are conducted by computer-assisted telephone interviews

Definitions

Vaccination coverage for influenza and COVID-19 is defined as the percentage of people vaccinated against these diseases between September 1 of the previous year and the date of interview.

For RSV, vaccination coverage is defined as the percentage of people who have ever received a dose of an RSV vaccine in their lifetime.

All percentages are weighted for age, gender and province of residence to ensure a representative sample

Strengths and limitations

This survey has several strengths and limitations to consider when interpreting the results.

Strengths

Nationally representative survey with weighting to reflect the Canadian adult population so results can be generalized
For influenza and COVID-19, data was collected in the same season as vaccination, helping to reduce recall bias
Captures information not available in registries, such as knowledge, attitudes, and reasons for non-vaccination

Limitations

Possible selection bias, as individuals who participate may be more health-conscious and more likely to be vaccinated
Low response rate (~10%)
Self-reported data is subject to recall and social desirability bias
Small sample sizes for certain subgroups and smaller provinces or territories which limits precision and, in some cases, prevents reporting

Other uses of SRVCS

In addition to reporting on vaccination coverage, the SRVCS has been used to conduct some detailed analyses of influenza vaccination:

Vaccination recommendations

The National Advisory Committee on Immunization (NACI) recommends that all those aged 6 months and older receive the influenza vaccines annually. Influenza vaccines are particularly recommended for:

people 65 years and older
all children 6 months to 5 years
people with certain chronic medical conditions that place them at higher risk of complications
pregnant women and individuals who are pregnant
people who live in nursing homes or other long-term care facilities
Indigenous peoples

Influenza vaccines: Canadian Immunization Guide

NACI recommends COVID-19 vaccination for those at increased risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection or severe COVID-19 disease:

people 65 years and older
people who live in nursing homes or other long-term care facilities
individuals with chronic medical conditions that place them at higher risk of severe COVID-19
pregnant women and individuals who are pregnant
Indigenous peoples
members of racialized and other equity-denied communities
healthcare workers

COVID-19 vaccines: Canadian Immunization Guide

NACI recommends RSV vaccination for those at increased risk of severe RSV disease, hospitalization, intensive care unit (ICU) admission and death:

people 75 years and older
adults aged 65 to 74 years who are at increased risk of severe RSV disease
adults 18 years of age and older who are:
- residents of nursing homes and other chronic care facilities
- have had a lung transplant or a hematopoietic stem cell transplant (in the previous two years or who remain on immunosuppression)
- on home oxygen or require chronic oxygen therapy regardless of living at home or elsewhere
- receiving dialysis

RSV vaccines: Canadian Immunization Guide

For more information on vaccines, visit the Canadian Immunization Guide.

Suggested citation

Public Health Agency of Canada, Seasonal Respiratory Vaccination Coverage Survey. Ottawa: Public Health Agency of Canada; 2026-05-12. https://health-infobase.canada.ca/srvcs/

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Standardized Reporting on Vaccination (STARVAX)

Report on the percentage of children who have completed their routine immunizations, categorized by vaccination status, sex, and age group. and the percentage of people in Canada who were vaccinated against COVID-19 or flu (influenza) in 2024.

Canadian respiratory virus surveillance report

Weekly overview of key trends in the activity of respiratory viruses, such as influenza (flu), COVID-19, and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) in Canada.

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Date modified:: 2026-05-26

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