COVID-19 Vaccine

Starting Fall 2025

Starting mid-October updated COVID-19 vaccines will be available across the City for high-risk and priority groups; and will be available to the general population 6 months and older starting October 27, 2025.

This fall, as COVID-19 vaccine supply becomes available in the community, a dose of the COVID-19 vaccine is recommended for previously immunized high-risk populations including:

1. High-risk Populations Group 1

The following individuals are at increased risk of COVID-19 disease and should receive their COVID-19 vaccine as soon as it becomes available in the fall AND should receive an additional dose in the spring:

• Adults 80 years and older;
• Adult residents of long-term care homes and other congregate living settings for seniors;
• Individuals 6 months of age and older who are moderately to severely immunocompromised (due to specific underlying condition or treatment); and
• Individuals 55 years and older who identify as First Nations, Inuit, or Metis and their non-Indigenous household members who are 55 years and older.

Adults aged 65 to 79 years should receive COVID-19 vaccine dose(s) as soon as it becomes available in the fall AND may receive an additional dose in the spring since certain individuals in this age group are at increased risk of severe COVID-19 disease and would benefit from doses in the fall and spring.

2. High-risk Populations Group 2

The following individuals are at increased risk of SARS-CoV-2 exposure or severe COVID-19 disease and should receive their COVID-19 vaccine as soon as it becomes available in the fall:

• Residents in long-term care homes and other congregate living settings who are aged 17 years and under;
• Pregnant individuals;
• Individuals from First Nations, Métis and Inuit communities who are aged 54 years and under;
• Members of underserved communities; and
• Health care workers and other care providers in facilities and community settings.

3. Priority Populations

To optimize co-administration with influenza (flu) vaccine, the following individuals, may receive their COVID-19 vaccine(s) as soon as it becomes available in the fall:

• Children aged 6 months to under 5 years of age; and
• Individuals with significant exposure to birds or mammals through interactions with birds or mammals (such as poultry, livestock, slaughterhouse and processing plant workers, wildlife officers/researchers, and veterinarians).

Starting October 27, 2025

4. General population

All individuals (6 months of age and older) who do not belong to the high-risk groups or priority populations described above may receive COVID-19 vaccine dose(s) in the fall, starting on October 27, 2025.

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, pharmacy or your primary care provider are the main providers of these vaccines.

Starting mid-October vaccine will be available across the City for high-risk and priority groups; and will be available to the general population 6 months and older starting October 27, 2025.

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 OttawaPublicHealth.ca/FindPharmacy to locate a pharmacy near you.

Participating community health care providers

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

Neighbourhood Health and Wellness Hubs

Starting October 14, 2025, Ottawa Public Health will offer COVID-19 vaccines to eligible high-risk clients facing significant barriers to accessing the vaccine in the community, which are children aged 6 months to under 5 years of age (and their immediate family and household members), and newcomers without OHIP.

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

Ottawa Public Health Community Vaccination Clinics

Starting October 14, 2025, Ottawa Public Health Clinics will offer COVID-19 vaccines to eligible high-risk clients facing significant barriers to accessing the COVID-19 and influenza (flu) vaccine in the community which are:

• Children aged 6 months to under 5 years of age (and their immediate family and household members); and
• Newcomers without OHIP.

Book appointment

For the 2025/2026 COVID-19 vaccine program updated mRNA vaccines (Moderna Spikevax and Pfizer-BioNTech Comirnaty) will be available in Ontario. These vaccines are designed to protect against the LP.8.1 variant. These vaccines are recommended for all eligible age groups and are considered equivalent in terms of protection.

• Children 6 months to 4 years of age may receive the Moderna Spikevax vaccine.
• Children 5 to 11 years may receive either Moderna or Pfizer-BioNTech, depending on availability.
• Individuals 12 years and older may receive either Moderna or Pfizer-BioNTech, depending on availability.

Novavax vaccine

The Novavax (Nuvaxovid) protein subunit vaccine will not be available in Ontario for the 2025/2026 program. Individuals who are unable to receive an mRNA vaccine should speak with their primary care provider about how to lower their risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection and about treatment options, including the use of Paxlovid to reduce the duration and severity of illness in the event of COVID-19 disease.

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

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 before and then tested positive:
• They can consider waiting 3 months after testing positive before getting another dose of COVID-19 vaccine.
  

Please note: Publicly funded COVID-19 testing is limited to individuals who are eligible for antiviral treatment or those who are living in congregate living settings.