COVID-19 Vaccine

⚠ Individuals 6 months and older can now access the updated COVID-19 vaccine in Ontario.

  • Many local pharmacies have received the updated COVID-19 and flu vaccines from the Ministry of Health. Pharmacies are the primary way that Ontarians access these vaccines.
  • Visit the Ministry of Health’s website or OttawaPublicHealth.ca/FindPharmacy to locate a pharmacy near you including hours of operation, address, contact information and details on how to book an appointment.
 Who can receive the COVID-19 vaccine

Starting October 28, individuals 6 months and older can access the updated COVID-19 vaccine in Ontario.

Where to get vaccinated against COVID-19

There are many options for getting your updated COVID-19 vaccine: 

Pharmacies

  • Many local pharmacies have received the updated COVID-19 and flu vaccines from the Ministry of Health. Pharmacies are the primary way that Ontarians access these vaccines.
  • Visit the Ministry of Health’s website or OttawaPublicHealth.ca/FindPharmacy to locate a pharmacy near you including hours of operation, address, contact information and details on how to book an appointment.

Participating community health care providers

  • Check with your regular health care provider to see if they offer the vaccines. 

Provincial Online Vaccine Booking System

Book a COVID-19 vaccine

  • Ottawa Public Health clinic appointments booked through the Provincial Online Vaccine Booking System are intended for the following individuals:
    • High-risk individuals facing barriers to access, including newcomers without OHIP and children under 5 (along with their household member).
  • Changing or cancelling a vaccine appointment : If you booked an appointment through the provincial online vaccine booking system, you can reschedule or cancel it online or by calling 1-833-943-3900 (TTY 1-866-797-0007).
  • Those booking an appointment on or after October 21st will be able to get their flu vaccine at the same time; two separate appointment times are not required.

Ottawa Public Health Community Vaccination Clinics

Ottawa Public Health community vaccination clinics offer publicly-funded vaccinations for residents. The clinics are currently offering the following vaccines to eligible residents. 

  • COVID-19 vaccine: OPH offers COVID-19 vaccines at our clinics for children aged 6 months to under 5 years and their household members and individuals facing significant barriers to access such as newcomers without OHIP.

Confirm Eligibility and Book COVID-19 Vaccine 
  • Flu vaccine: OPH offers flu vaccines at our clinics for children aged 6 months to under 5 years and their household members and individuals facing significant barriers to access such as newcomers without OHIP.

Confirm Eligibility and Book Flu Vaccine 

Neighbourhood Health and Wellness Hubs

Ottawa Public Health will offer COVID-19 vaccination for individuals facing significant barriers to access, including newcomers without OHIP, children under 2 (along with their household members), and children aged 2 to 5 who have tried other providers.

Visit our Neighbourhood Health and Wellness Hubs page for information on hub locations, hours and vaccine availability.

What COVID-19 vaccines are available

All COVID-19 vaccines available this fall protect against the KP.2 variant. Ontario will have two mRNA COVID-19 vaccines available, Moderna and Pfizer products. Moderna will be the vaccine available for children 6 months to 11 years of age. The availability of these vaccines will vary by provider and may not be available at the same time. As age appropriate, they are both recommended for COVID-19 protection this fall. 

How many doses of vaccine are recommended?

The Ministry Health in Ontario provides recommendations on vaccine scheduling, visit their website for information on how many doses are recommended and when to receive vaccines.

Any of the available updated COVID-19 vaccines can be given at the same time as routine and other seasonal immunizations including flu and RSV immunizations.

Novavax vaccine

The non-mRNA COVID-19 vaccine Novavax (Nuvaxovid) is not currently available in Ontario. At this time, there are no plans for Novavax vaccines to be made available in Canada for the 2024-2025 respiratory illness season.  

The federal government orders and supplies COVID-19 vaccines to provinces and territories through national contracts. For this respiratory illness season, the federal government is only supplying mRNA vaccines; the demand for Novavax vaccine has been very low in previous years. 

  • If you are concerned about an allergy or contraindication to an mRNA vaccine, we recommend that you speak to a primary care provider who will determine if the vaccine can be administered safely and enable the creation of a care plan for your vaccination. 
  • Individuals who are unable to receive an mRNA vaccine can use their layers of protection, including practicing hand hygiene, wearing a well-fitting mask and improving indoor ventilation, to reduce the risk of infection from COVID-19 and should speak with their health care provider about treatment options, including the use of Paxlovid if eligible, to reduce the duration and severity of illness. 

Can I get vaccinated for COVID-19 even if I have had COVID-19?

Even if you’ve previously had COVID-19, getting vaccinated is important to guard against reinfection and severe illness. Although natural infection offers some immunity, receiving the vaccine at the recommended times helps further improve your immune response.

If you have either received a positive COVID-19 test or were symptomatic after having close contact with a person who tested positive, visit the Ministry of Health’s website for information on timing of vaccination.

Individuals with symptoms of COVID-19 or other infections, without a confirmed diagnosis, should ensure that they don't have a fever, symptoms have been improving for at least 24 hours (or 48 hours if nausea, vomiting and/or diarrhea were present) and there have not been any new symptoms before receiving vaccination.

Contact Us