Health Canada delays access to vaccine injury records for up to 15 years

Health Canada delays access to vaccine injury records for up to 15 years

On February 3, 2026, documents tabled in the Canadian Parliament and reported by media outlets showed that Health Canada confirmed its longest current extension under the federal Access to Information Act is 15 years. The extension applies to an access request for internal records related to vaccine and adverse drug reaction reports dating back to 1998.

The records request originally sought “several million pages” of documents, according to responses from the Ministry of Health, and the department said it narrowed the scope of the request. Health Canada said the request is being processed but that the timeline cannot be amended after the first 30 days, resulting in the extended delay.

The Public Health Agency of Canada also acknowledged lengthy delays tied to pandemic-era records. A spokesperson noted that factors such as high volumes of material, internal consultations, and complexity of files can affect processing times under the Access to Information Act.

The Access to Information Act provides Canadian citizens with the right to request federal government records subject to specific exceptions. It allows departments to extend timelines under certain conditions, including large or complex requests. Neither Health Canada nor the Public Health Agency of Canada has published all of the requested documents publicly as of the date of this report.