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Last revised: June 5, 2023
Who can receive the vaccine
| Primary series |
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People six months or older, at the time of their appointment, are currently eligible to receive a primary series. A primary series for most healthy people is the first two doses of the vaccine given at two different times. Children six months to four years of age getting the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine require three doses to complete a primary series. The recommended spacing between doses is eight weeks (56 days). |
| Primary series if immunocompromised |
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People six months or older who have a weakened immune system (immunocompromised), because of a medical condition or medication they take, are eligible to receive a three dose primary series. A third dose is added to help improve protection in people who did not develop an optimal immune response after their first two COVID-19 vaccine doses. The recommended spacing between doses is eight weeks (56 days). In some cases, the number of days between doses may be shortened as advised by your health care provider or specialist. Only people with certain medical conditions or who are on specific medications that weaken the immune system need a three dose primary series. Please see the Ministry of Health COVID-19 Vaccine Guidance for more information. |
| Booster dose(s) |
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People five years of age and older, at the time of their appointment, are recommended to receive a booster dose. A booster dose helps restore protection that may have decreased over time. The following groups, at highest risk of becoming very sick from COVID-19 are recommended to receive a spring booster dose (beginning April 6, 2023) if at least six months (168 days) have passed since their last dose or COVID-19 infection:
All other people five years and older, who have not yet received a booster dose since September 1, 2022, are recommended to receive a booster dose if it has been at least six months since their last dose or COVID-19 infection. As per the Ministry of Health, an additional dose is not recommended this spring for people other than those who are at highest risk of becoming very sick given the strength and lasting protection against becoming very sick from COVID-19 in people who have a previous COVID-19 infection and who are vaccinated against COVID-19. People five years of age and older who do not fall into one of the high-risk groups listed above and who have already received a booster dose on or after September 1, 2022 (either monovalent or bivalent), may choose to receive another booster dose during the spring of 2023, if at least six months (168 days) have passed since their previous dose or confirmed COVID-19 infection. Individuals are encouraged to speak with their health care provider about what is best for them. Is it time for your next COVID-19 booster? Use the following chart if you have completed your primary series and are aged five and older.
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| Novavax vaccine |
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The mRNA COVID-19 vaccines remain the recommended vaccines because of the protection they provide and well-known safety profiles. The Novavax COVID-19 vaccine can be given to people 12 years of age and older older as part of their primary series and to people 18 years of age and older as a booster dose who:
Booking an appointmentNovavax appointments can only be booked through the Ottawa Public Health booking page. Use this online form to register for Novavax COVID-19 vaccination. For booking information at all other clinics, visit our Where to get vaccinated section. |
| Vaccine(s) received outside of Ontario |
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Recommendations for future COVID-19 vaccines doses are based on the number and type of COVID-19 vaccine(s) people have received. The following people are recommended to receive additional doses to complete their primary series:
After the primary series is complete, people five years of age and older are recommended to receive a booster dose if at least 6 months have passed since their last vaccine dose or COVID-19 infection. For more information, visit our frequently asked questions on vaccines received outside of Canada, Ontario or Ottawa, or through a federal program or contact the Ottawa Public Health Information Centre at 613-580-6744. More information is also available in the Ministry of Health COVID-19 Vaccine Guidance. For more information, visit our frequently asked questions on vaccines received outside of Canada, Ontario or Ottawa, or through a federal program. |
Where to get vaccinated
Ottawa Public Health offers COVID-19 vaccination through local community clinics and neighbourhood health and wellness hubs. Please note that masks are required at all Ottawa Public Health vaccination clinics. Find below, more information about each type of Ottawa Public Health clinic.
| Community clinics | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
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COVID-19 vaccination is available at community clinics for eligible clients six months and older. Residents are encouraged to book an appointment. Walk-ins will be accepted as capacity allows. You can use the online provincial booking system or call the Provincial booking system at 1-833-943-3900 (TTY 1-866-797-0007) to schedule an appointment at your local community clinic. The vaccination clinic locations in Ottawa were selected with accessibility being the main consideration. For booking information at all other clinics, visit our Where to get vaccinated section. If you require disability-related accommodations, please fill out this COVID-19 Vaccine Accessibility Assessment form at least 48 hours before 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. A number of transportation services are available to help you get to and from your appointment.
Changing or cancelling a vaccine appointmentIf you booked your appointment with Ottawa Public Health, Wabano, Akausivik, a pharmacy, a hospital or at Switch Health, please contact them directly to make any changes. Ottawa Public Health can be reached at 613-691-5505. 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). You will need your:
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| Neighbourhood Health and Wellness Hubs | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
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In collaboration with city and community partners, Ottawa Public Health offers free drop-in services to all residents of Ottawa at our accessible Neighbourhood Health and Wellness Hubs. COVID-19 vaccination is available at select locations. Come speak to Ottawa Public Health and City of Ottawa staff. View the locations and hours of the Neighbourhood Health and Wellness Hubs. |
Other places in Ottawa offer COVID-19 vaccination such as select pharmacies, First Nations, Inuit and Métis clinics, the Kids Come First Health Team vaccination clinics, and Switch Health clinics. Find below, more information about other places that offer COVID-19 vaccination.
| Select Pharmacies | ||||||
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Select pharmacy locations offer COVID-19 vaccination. Pharmacy locations are separate from Ottawa Public Health’s vaccination roll-out. You can find a list of all pharmacies offering COVID-19 vaccines, including which vaccines are offered, hours, locations and how to book an appointment online. |
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| First Nations, Inuit and Métis clinics | ||||||
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The Akausivik Inuit Family Health Team and Wabano Centre for Aboriginal Health offer COVID-19 vaccination. Please see the table below for location, hours, eligibility and booking information.
Proof of vaccination People who were vaccinated at Akausivik received a paper receipt. Paper receipts are valid proof of vaccination, but if you travel, you may be asked for an electronic vaccine certificate. Akausivik is reaching out to all of their clients to provide updated information about COVax and assist those who want to be recorded in COVax to get a QR code. To get a COVax receipt, please contact Akausivik Inuit Family Health Team at 613-740-0999, by email generalinfo@aifht.ca or visit their website for more information Changing or cancelling a vaccine appointmentIf you booked your appointment with Ottawa Public Health, Wabano, Akausivik, a pharmacy, a hospital or at Switch Health, please contact them directly to make any changes. Ottawa Public Health can be reached at 613-691-5505. |
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Kids Come First Health Team vaccination clinics |
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The Kids Come First Health Team holds COVID-19 vaccination clinics at CHEO for children six months to 17 years old who cannot attend a community vaccination clinic. Reasons a child may have difficulty receiving their vaccination in the community include:
The clinic is open to children and their household members. If your child meets the criteria above, you can pre-register to receive your COVID-19 vaccine at a Kids Come First vaccination clinic. Please note that pre-registration does not mean you are booking an appointment. For more information visit the Kids Come First Health Team vaccination clinics web page. |
Have a question?
For frequently asked questions about COVID-19 vaccination in children: visit our COVID-19 vaccination and children webpage
For other frequently asked questions: visit our frequently asked questions about COVID-19 vaccination webpage
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