COVID-19 Vaccines

Individuals 6 months and older can receive their fall COVID-19 vaccine dose(s) starting October 26, 2026. 

All individuals in the high-risk and priority groups should receive COVID-19 vaccine dose(s) as soon as it becomes available in the fall.

Important: Ottawa Public Health (OPH) immunization service criteria have evolved in recent years. OPH clinics are for children under 5 (and their household members) and newcomers without OHIP who are not serviced by pharmacies or have limited access to primary care. For the majority of the population, pharmacies or your primary care provider are the main providers of these vaccines. 

Starting mid-October OPH will begin offering COVID-19 vaccine to specific high-risk individuals through local community clinics and Neighbourhood Health and Wellness Hubs.

Find the vaccination options available to you based on your age, household, OHIP status, or accommodation needs.

I live in a house where all household members are 5 years old or older

• Pharmacies
• Participating Health Care Provider

I live in a house with a child between 2 and 5 years old

• Pharmacies
• Participating Health Care Provider
• Neighbourhood Health and Wellness Hubs*
• Ottawa Public Health Vaccination Clinics*

I live in a house with a child under 2 years old

• Participating Health Care Provider
• Neighbourhood Health and Wellness Hubs*
• Ottawa Public Health Vaccination Clinics*

I do not have OHIP

• Neighbourhood Health and Wellness Hubs*
• Ottawa Public Health Vaccination Clinics*

I am a client with a medical or disability-related need who cannot be seen by a pharmacist or family doctor and require accommodation (e.g., extra time with a nurse, a quieter or private space)

• Contact the Ottawa Public Health Contact Centre at 613-580-6744 and speak to a Public Health Nurse about clinic options.

*If you don’t meet OPH criteria, you will be redirected to another community option for vaccination.

Pharmacies

Pharmacies are the primary way that residents in Ottawa and throughout Ontario access the COVID-19 vaccine. It is recommended that all residents reach out to their local pharmacy to get their vaccine this fall. Please contact your local pharmacy, prior to visiting, to check vaccine availability.

Visit the Ministry of Health Pharmacy Vaccine Locator to find a pharmacy near you.

Participating health care providers

Some primary care providers offer COVID-19 vaccines, check with your regular health care provider to see if they offer the flu vaccine. 

Neighbourhood Health and Wellness Hubs

Ottawa Public Health offers COVID-19 vaccination to eligible clients facing significant barriers to accessing the immunization in the community which are children aged 6 months to under 5 years of age (including their immediate family and household members), and newcomers without OHIP. 

Visit the Neighbourhood Health and Wellness Hubs page for information on hub locations, and hours.  

Ottawa Public Health Vaccination Clinics

Ottawa Public Health Clinics offers COVID-19 vaccines to the following clients facing significant barriers to accessing the flu vaccine in the community:
•    Children aged 6 months to under 5 years of age (and their immediate family and household members);
•    Newcomers without OHIP;
•    Clients 5 years and older with medical or disability related needs who cannot be seen by a pharmacist or family doctor and require accommodation to make the experience possible and positive (e.g. Extra time with a nurse, a quieter or private space)

For the 2026/2027 COVID-19 vaccine program updated mRNA vaccines (Spikevax® and Comirnaty®) will be available in Ontario. These vaccines are designed to protect against the XFG variant. These vaccines are recommended for all eligible age groups and are considered equivalent in terms of protection.

• Children 6 months to 11 years of age may receive the Spikevax^® vaccine.
• Individuals 12 years and older may receive either Spikevax^® or Comirnaty^®, depending on availability.

It is important to get your annual COVID-19 vaccine when it becomes available to you. Any of the available COVID-19 vaccines would be preferable to remaining unvaccinated. All COVID-19 vaccines are safe, effective and offer strong protection.

Nuvaxovid^® vaccine

The Nuvaxovid^® protein subunit vaccine will be available in Ontario for the 2026/2027 program. Individuals who are unable to receive an mRNA vaccine may be able to access Nuvaxovid^® through participating pharmacies and are encouraged to contact the pharmacy in advance to confirm availability of this specific vaccine product. Individuals without OHIP coverage who require further assistance may contact Ottawa Public Health at 613-580-6744.

If you, or a loved one, gets COVID-19 this season (had a positive test), here's when they should get their next vaccine:

• If they have never had any doses of the COVID-19 vaccine, or haven’t finished their first set of doses:
  • Wait 8 weeks after testing positive before getting the next dose.
  • If their immune system is weaker (immunocompromised), they can get the next dose after 4 to 8 weeks.
• If they haven’t had any doses and didn’t test positive, they can get a dose right away.
• If they have had a COVID-19 vaccine series before and then tested positive:
  • They can consider waiting 3 months after testing positive before getting another dose of COVID-19 vaccine.