COVID-19 Vaccine

Second dose information

The Province of Ontario has announced that high-risk health care workers and certain individuals with immunocompromising conditions and those on immunosuppressive therapies are eligible to receive their second dose of the COVID-19 vaccine earlier than the extended four-month interval. Individuals with malignant hematologic disorders and non-hematologic malignant solid tumors receiving active treatment will be required to have a letter from the Champlain Regional Cancer Centre. The City of Ottawa and Ottawa Public Health currently have no information about how this group can book their vaccine appointments for second doses but will announce those details as soon as they are known.  Please refer to the Ministry of Health’s Vaccine Clinical Advisory Group (VCAG) Recommendations on Exceptions to Extended Dose Intervals for COVID-19 vaccines document.

If you have received your first dose through a pharmacy or primary care provider and do not have an appointment for your second dose, you must contact them directly.

When second dose appointments are available to be booked at our clinics, the City will undertake a broad communications plan to advise the public through PSAs, City of Ottawa’s COVID-19 Vaccine e-subscription, City and OPH website updates, social media as well as other news media sources, similar to the communications done to advise when residents are eligible for their first appointment.  Individuals who have received their first dose, but don’t yet have an appointment for their second dose, will not be missed or forgotten. We recognise that for some, this time frame is nearing and, understandably, they are worried.

We encourage residents to sign up for the e-newsletter to ensure they receive updates, or if they are not online to please ask a family member, neighbour or friend to sign up and let them know when second dose appointments can be booked. 

Vaccine appointment scheduled via provincial booking system:

Individuals who use the provincial booking system are asked to schedule their first and second doses when they make appointments.

Read our frequently asked questions about COVID-19 vaccination.

Community clinics

How to book appointment:

• Book appointment or call 1-833-943-3900
• Learn more about second dose appointments and who qualifies for a shorter interval.

Individuals served:

• Adults 40 years of age and older
• Adults 18 years of age and older in “hot spots” including postal codes starting with K1T, K1V and K2V.
• Clients who are pregnant
• Chronic home health care recipients
• Patient and non-patient facing health care workers
• Faith leaders
• People with highest risk health conditions and their caregivers
  • Organ transplant recipients
  • Hematopoietic stem cell transplant recipients (bone marrow transplant)
  • Neurological diseases that impact breathing (for example, motor neuron disease, myasthenia gravis, multiple sclerosis)
  • Haematological malignancy diagnosed within the last year
  • Kidney disease with estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) under 30
  • Pregnancy
  • One essential caregiver for individuals with the conditions in this category who require regular and sustained assistance with personal care or activities of daily living
• People with high risk health conditions and their caregivers
  • Obesity (BMI over 40)
  • Other treatments causing immunosuppression (for example, chemotherapy, immunity-weakening medications)
  • Intellectual or developmental disabilities (for example, Down Syndrome)
  • One essential caregiver for individuals with the conditions in this category who require regular and sustained assistance with personal care or activities of daily living

• People with at risk health conditions
  • Immune deficiencies and autoimmune disorders
  • Stroke and cerebrovascular disease
  • Dementia
  • Diabetes
  • Liver disease
  • All other cancers
  • Respiratory diseases, such as asthma, bronchitis, pneumonia, pleurisy
  • Spleen problems, such as asplenia
  • Heart disease
  • Hypertension with end organ damage
  • Diagnosed mental disorder
  • Substance use disorders
  • Sickle cell disease
  • Thalassemia
  • Immunocompromising health conditions
  • Other disabilities requiring direct support care in the community
• Group 1 of essential workers who cannot work from home
  • Remaining elementary and secondary school workers (including educators, custodial, school bus drivers, administrative staff)
  • Workers responding to critical events (including police, fire, special constables, children’s aid society workers, emergency management, critical infrastructure restoration workers)
  • Enforcement, inspection and compliance roles (including by-law enforcement, building inspectors, food inspectors, animal welfare inspectors, border inspection officers, labour inspectors, WSIB field workers)
  • Remaining individuals working in licensed childcare settings (including all licensees, employees and students on educational placements who interact directly with children in licensed childcare centres and in authorized recreation and skill building programs, licensed home child care and in-home service providers, employees of home child care agencies)
  • Foster care agenda workers (including customary care providers)
  • Food manufacturing and distribution workers
  • Agriculture and farm workers
  • Funeral, crematorium, cemetery workers
  • We are currently awaiting further direction from the Province with a process to book 16-17-year old’s that meet the group 1, group 2 essential workers eligibility.
  • Sign up for the COVID-19 vaccination update e-subscription for regular news on the vaccine roll-out and continue to check this website for updates.
• Group 2 of essential workers who cannot work from home 
  • Essential and critical retail workers (including grocery, foodbank, pharmacy, ServiceOntario, ServiceCanada, Passport Canada, wholesalers and general goods, restaurant, LCBO workers)
  • Workers in manufacturing industries directly involved in supporting the COVID-19covid 19 response, construction (including infrastructure) and other essential businesses and services where facilities are at heightened risk for COVID-19covid 19 outbreaks and spread
  • Social workers and social services staff who provide in-person client services (including youth justice workers, Ontario Works and Ontario Disability Support Program case workers)
  • Courts and justice system workers (including probation and parole workers)
  • Transportation, warehousing and distribution workers (including public transit workers, truck drivers supporting essential services, marine and rail cargo and maintenance, highway maintenance)
  • Electricity (including system operations, generation, transmission, distribution and storage workers)
  • Communications infrastructure workers (including cellular, satellite, landline, internet, public safety radio)
  • Water and wastewater management workers
  • Financial services workers (bank branch staff)
  • Veterinarians and veterinary teams
  • Waste management workers
  • Oil and petroleum workers (including petroleum refineries, crude oil and petroleum storage, transmission and distribution, retail sale of fuel)
  • Natural gas and propane gas workers (including compression, storage, transmission and distribution of natural gas and propane)
  • Mine workers (including those needed to ensure the continued operation of active mines)
  • Uranium processing workers (those working in the refining and conversion of uranium and fabrication of fuel for nuclear power plants)
  • Unlicensed childcare workers (Independent childcare providers who directly provide care to children who are not related)
  • We are currently awaiting further direction from the Province with a process to book 16-17-year old’s that meet the group 1, group 2 essential workers eligibility. 
  • Sign up for the COVID-19 vaccination update e-subscription for regular news on the vaccine roll-out and continue to check this website for updates.
• Staff and caregivers in retirement homes 
• Residents in all retirement homes
• Staff, caregivers and residents in all long-term care homes 
• People who work or live in a congregate living settings. A congregate setting refers to a range of facilities where people (most or all of whom are not related) live or stay overnight and use shared spaces (e.g., common sleeping areas, bathrooms, kitchens)  
  • Shelters
  • Group homes
  • Correctional facilities
  • Children or youth residential settings

Vaccination offered: 

Pfizer-BioNtech and/or Moderna

Addresses:

Please note: Most of the community clinics are now open but more can be operational within 72 hours in the event large amounts of vaccines become available.

Eva James Memorial Centre

65 Stonehaven Drive

Horticulture Building (Opening soon)

1525 Princess Patricia Way

Nepean Sportsplex

1701 Woodroffe Avenue

Infinity Convention Centre

2901 Gibford Drive

Ottawa City Hall

110 Laurier Avenue West

Queensway Carleton Hospital

3045 Baseline Rd

Ruddy Family YMCA-YWCA

265 Centrum Blvd 

St-Laurent Complex

525 Côté Street

The Ottawa Hospital - Civic Campus

1053 Carling Ave

Additional information:

Timelines for opening all community clinics will depend on vaccine supply and the remaining community clinics will be opened as supply increases. Once fully operational, these community clinics will operate from 8:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m., seven days a week and have the capacity to administer a total of nearly 11,000 immunizations per day.

How to prepare for vaccination:

• What you need to know about your COVID-19 vaccine appointment (Ministry of Health)
• After your COVID-19 vaccine (Ministry of Health)
• Read our frequently asked questions about COVID-19 vaccination

• If you require additional disability-related accommodations, please fill out this COVID-19 Vaccine accessibility assessment form at least 48 hours in advance of your appointment. With less than 48 hours, Ottawa Public Health will strive to meet all accommodation needs, however, may not be able meet all requirements. Should you need assistance in completing the accommodation request form, please contact Ottawa Public Health at 613-691-5505.

How to cancel your appointment:

If your vaccine appointment was booked through the Province, and if you not yet received your first dose you may cancel your appointment by following the steps outlined in the confirmation email you received at the time you made your appointment. Otherwise, you may do-so by calling 1-833-943-3900.

Pop-up clinics

The pop-up clinic pilot has ended. Feedback received from these pop-up sites will inform ongoing efforts as part of the neighbourhood vaccination approach. 

In addition to the community clinics, and ongoing activities in priority neighbourhoods, congregate settings and targeted vaccination efforts for homebound and Indigenous populations, the Emergency Operations Centre of the City of Ottawa is also preparing to ramp up operations in June in response to anticipated increased supply of vaccines. Planning is currently underway to enhance capacity at established clinics, vaccinate youth aged 12 to 17, and provide second dose appointments to those that are eligible. 

Other ways to get your vaccine:

• Community clinics
• Participating pharmacies
• Learn more about second dose appointments and who qualifies for a shorter interval.

First Nations, Inuit and Métis clinics

Individuals served:

• First Nations, Inuit and Métis community members who are aged 16 and older are currently eligible for vaccination.

You will be asked to provide proof of Indigenous identity/status. Examples include:

• Status Card
• Inuit Beneficiary Card
• Métis Card
• 60s Scoop Acceptance Letter

Vaccination offered: 

Pfizer-BioNtech and/or Moderna

Addresse:

Indigenous Clinic Moving to Rideau High School – Tuesday May 18th

The vaccination clinic that has been operating at the St. Laurent Complex is moving to Rideau High School. Starting on Tuesday May 18^th, all vaccination appointments for First Nation, Inuit and Métis community members previously booked at St. Laurent Complex will be provided at Rideau High School at 815 St. Laurent Boulevard.

Rideau High School (As of May 18, 2021)

815 St. Laurent Boulevard

St-Laurent Complex 

525 Côté Street, Ottawa

How to book a first dose appointment for First Nations, Inuit and Métis community members:

If you are age 16 or older and are First Nation, Inuit or Métis, or if you live with someone who is Indigenous AND if you have not yet had your first dose, you may call 613-691-5505 to book your first and second dose appointment at Rideau High School at 815 St. Laurent Boulevard.

Call 613-691-5505 to book an appointment

The phoneline will be open:

Monday to Friday             7:30 am to 6:00 pm

Saturday to Sunday         8:30 am to 4:00 pm

Booking first and second doses for Inuit

Akausivik Inuit Family Health Team continues to provide vaccinations to Inuit community members at their clinic at 24 Selkirk Street. They are now offering first and second doses. Call 613-740-0999 to book your first or second dose.

Call 613-740-0999 to book an appointment

The phoneline will be open:

Monday to Friday             7:30 am to 6:00 pm

Saturday to Sunday         8:30 am to 4:00 pm

Additional information: 

How do I rebook my second dose appointment?

The Province of Ontario announced that First Nation, Inuit and Métis people may get their second vaccine dose sooner than 16 weeks. For people who received their first dose at Wabano or St. Laurent Complex, Ottawa Public Health phoneline staff will call you to rebook your second dose appointment. They will start calling people on May 14 starting with those who got their first dose early on and will gradually work their way forward to those who got their first dose more recently. We are committed to reaching community members with second doses of the COVID vaccine as quickly and safely as possible. You may receive a text message or automated phone message from Ottawa Public Health with instructions or with details of your new appointment.

Are 12-15 year old eligible to book a first dose appointment?

The province has announced that people age 12+ may start booking appointments as of May 31, 2021. Check the website for further updates about how to book appointments for children.

Ottawa Public Health is partnering with Wabano Centre for Aboriginal Health to provide a COVID-19 vaccination clinic for First Nation, Inuit and Métis community members.

Akausivik Inuit Family Health Team is providing vaccinations for Inuit.

How to prepare for vaccination:

• What you need to know about your COVID-19 vaccine appointment (Ministry of Health)
• After your COVID-19 vaccine (Ministry of Health)
• Read our frequently asked questions about COVID-19 vaccination
• If you require additional disability-related accommodations, please fill out this COVID-19 Vaccine accessibility assessment form at least 48 hours in advance of your appointment. With less than 48 hours, Ottawa Public Health will strive to meet all accommodation needs, however, may not be able meet all requirements. Should you need assistance in completing the accommodation request form, please contact Ottawa Public Health at 613-691-5505.

How to cancel your appointment:

People who booked COVID-19 vaccine appointments with Ottawa Public Health by phone and who now wish to cancel can do so by calling 613-691-5505.

If vaccine appointments were booked through the Province, and if they have not yet received their first dose they may cancel their appointment by following the steps outlined in the confirmation email they received at the time they made their appointment. Otherwise, they may do-so by calling 1-833-943-3900. If appointments were booked through pharmacies or other health care providers, residents would need to cancel their appointment through them.

Vaccine in select pharmacies 

Looking for a second dose?

• Learn more about second dose appointments and who qualifies for a shorter interval.

Individuals served:

• Adults 40 years of age or older
• Adults 18 years of age or older in select pharmacies in hot spots

Find a list of participating pharmacies online and contact the pharmacy for a vaccine.

Vaccination offered: 

Pfizer-BioNtech and/or Moderna

Addresses:

Various locations

How to prepare for vaccination:

• What you need to know about your COVID-19 vaccine appointment (Ministry of Health) 
• After your COVID-19 vaccine (Ministry of Health)
• Read our frequently asked questions about COVID-19 vaccination

Additional information:

The Province of Ontario has announced that pharmacies in Ottawa will provide COVID-19 vaccinations to residents of Ottawa. Please see the Province of Ontario website for more information.

These vaccinations are separate from Ottawa Public Health and the City of Ottawa’s vaccination roll-out. Please call the participating pharmacies directly to book or call the Province of Ontario Vaccination Information Line at 1-888-999-6488 (TTY 1-866-797-0007) for more information.