COVID-19 Vaccination and Clinic Schedule

Health Canada approved the updated Moderna SPIKEVAX XBB COVID-19 vaccine. More information to come on when and to whom these vaccines will be available. Read the provincial announcement on flu, RSV and new COVID-19 XBB vaccines.

Everyone six months of age and older are recommended to stay up-to-date with their COVID-19 vaccinations.

COVID-19 vaccines may be given at the same time as, or any time before or after influenza vaccine. There is no time interval to wait. Learn more about the long-term safety of mRNA vaccines.

When to get your fall booster (individuals five years of age and older)

As of July 7, 2023, those five years of age and older should delay their COVID-19 booster dose until fall 2023. Recommendations will be posted once available.

At this time, the seasonality of COVID is not known, but other respiratory viruses such as flu and RSV usually increase in the fall / winter. A booster dose in the fall can:

  • Offer better protection against the current dominant variants
  • Protect your loved ones and community against severe outcomes from COVID-19 infection
  • Give your immune system the top-up it needs and help prevent long COVID
  • Reduce the impact of COVID-19 on the health system while other viruses are circulating

Where to get vaccinated

Book an appointment

To book an appointment at one of our clinics, visit the Provincial COVID-19 vaccination portal or call the Provincial Vaccine Contact Centre at 1-833-943-3900.

Clinic schedule

About our clinics

  • Stay home if you're sick

    Postpone your COVID-19 vaccination until:

    • You have no fever, without the use of fever reducing medication and
    • Your symptoms have been improving for at least 24 hours or 48 hours if you have nausea, vomiting and / or diarrhea

    If you had a booked appointment, you can reschedule your appointment online or by calling 1-833-943-3900.

    Learn more about COVID-19 self-isolation, symptoms and testing.

  • What you need to know about our clinics and children six months to 17 years of age

    Public Health offers child-friendly vaccination clinics to create a positive experience for children coming to get vaccinated.

    Although privacy or space to lie down may not be an option at all Public Health clinics, clinic staff will do their best to help put your child at ease. Learn more about preparing your child for their vaccination using the CARD system.

  • Getting ready for your vaccination

    Before going for your vaccine

    • Take any regular medication
    • Eat before coming to the vaccination clinic to prevent feeling faint or dizzy while being vaccinated
    • Wear a loose-fitting top or a t-shirt

    What to bring

    • If you have a booked appointment, bring the booking appointment confirmation number you received when you made your appointment
    • Your green health card. You can still get vaccinated if you don't have a health card. Bring another government-issued photo identification with you.
    • An object or a distraction tool if you would like to get your mind off the needle. For example, a mobile device, fidget spinner or book.
  • If you don't have a health card

    Those without a health card can get vaccinated at all Public Health COVID-19 vaccination clinics.

    Call your participating pharmacy if you're uncertain about what you need to bring to your appointment. The pharmacist will likely ask you for some type of identification and your birth date.

About COVID-19 vaccination

There is no COVID-19 virus in the vaccine. The vaccines teach your immune system how to recognize and fight the virus that causes COVID-19.

Some people may develop mild side effects such as fever. These symptoms typically mean the vaccine is working to produce protection. It usually takes the body a few weeks to build immunity after receiving a vaccine.

You can become infected with the virus before or right after getting the vaccine. This happens because the vaccine has not had enough time to provide protection in your body.

  • COVID-19 vaccine products

    mRNA (Moderna, Pfizer)

    Every effort should be made to get vaccinated with a mRNA vaccine. COVID-19 mRNA vaccines are safe and effective and are widely available across Niagara.

    Novavax

    Individuals 12 years of age and older who are interested in accessing a dose of Novavax should call 905-688-8248 ext. 7425 to be added to a wait list, after first being assessed for eligibility.

  • What you need to know about COVID-19 vaccination and children six months to 17 years of age

    Children who have an underlying medical condition are at higher risk of severe outcomes from COVID-19, but severe disease and multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C) can occur in any child, even those without an underlying condition.

    Both myocarditis and pericarditis are more common after COVID-19 illness (a viral infection) than after vaccination.

    A 2023 systematic review and meta-analysis that reviewed COVID-19 vaccination in children two to 18 years reconfirmed that:

    • COVID-19 vaccination is safe for children and adolescents
    • Their immune system is able to use the vaccine to effectively fight COVID-19 infection, protecting them from severe outcomes

    Parents / legal guardians of children six months to five years of age can also be reassured of the safety of COVID-19 vaccination as per this large US study published in the June 2023 issue of the Pediatrics journal.

    More information

    If you're unsure and would like more information, speak to a health care provider who will listen to your concerns and answer your questions.

  • People who are pregnant or breastfeeding

    The National Advisory Committee on Immunization continues to strongly recommend that individuals who are pregnant or breastfeeding get vaccinated and stay up to date. A June 2023 systematic review and meta-analysis showed no safety concerns with mRNA vaccines in pregnant persons. COVID-19 vaccinations can be given offered at any stage of pregnancy (in any trimester). Get the top five safety learnings and the final surveillance report for pregnancy and COVID-19 in Ontario.

    Getting vaccinated is your choice. We want you to feel confident in your decision. It's really important to make sure you understand as much as you can about COVID-19 and the vaccine so you can make an informed choice. Learn more about COVID-19 vaccines in pregnancy.

  • People who received vaccines not authorized by Health Canada

    Parents / legal guardians of children six months to four years should speak to their health care provider or call Public Health. The guidance in this section is for individuals five years of age and older.

    A primary vaccine series is considered complete when:

    • An individual has completed their primary series with a Health Canada approved COVID-19 vaccine and / or non- Health Canada approved vaccine listed on the World Health Organization's COVID-19 Vaccine Emergency Use Listing according to the recommended schedule, OR
    • An individual received three doses of a vaccine that is neither Health Canada approved nor listed on the World Health Organization's COVID-19 Vaccine Emergency Use Listing

    People who received either one or two doses of a COVID-19 vaccine that is not authorized by Health Canada or on the World Health Organization's COVID-19 Vaccine Emergency Use Listing may receive one additional dose in Ontario 28 to 56 days after the previous dose to complete the primary series.

    Immune status

    Immunocompromised need a total of three vaccine doses to complete their primary series:

    • People who have received one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine that is not authorized by Health Canada or on the World Health Organization's COVID-19 Vaccine Emergency Use Listing need two Health Canada approved vaccines
    • People who have received two doses of a COVID-19 vaccine that is not authorized by Health Canada or on the World Health Organization's COVID-19 Vaccine Emergency Use Listing need one Health Canada approved vaccine

    Additional doses / boosters

    Following any additional doses needed to complete the primary series, these individuals should follow the recommendations under booster doses.

    More information

    If you don't have a vaccine certificate (record of vaccination):

    • If you received a previous dose(s) of a COVID-19 vaccine but don't have a vaccine certificate (record of vaccination), see if you can obtain one
    • If the COVID-19 vaccine product you received remains unknown, a new vaccine series may need to be started with a Health Canada authorized COVID-19 vaccine
  • People who have had COVID-19

    You should still get your vaccine even if you had a previous COVID-19 infection. Getting vaccinated can strengthen and provide longer lasting protection against COVID-19. Compared to previous variants, Omicron has a higher reinfection rate for people who had a previous COVID-19 infection.

    A previous COVID-19 infection is defined as when an individual has

    • Tested positive for COVID, either by rapid antigen or PCR test, or
    • Had COVID-19 symptoms AND lived with a confirmed case

    If you had a COVID-19 infection before you started or completed your primary series
    Recommended to receive the vaccine eight weeks after your infection before the next dose in your primary series.

    If you had a COVID-19 infection after completing your primary series
    Recommended to receive the vaccine at least six months after your infection. A six-month interval may provide better immune response, regardless of the product given.

  • Long-term safety of mRNA vaccines

    Learn about COVID-19 vaccination in children six months to 17 years of age and people who are pregnant or breastfeeding.

    From the science and history of vaccines, there is no evidence of long-term effects.

    Vaccine side effects usually happen within a few days, and always within six weeks. Vaccines are quickly broken down and removed from your body, and so cannot cause side effects many months or years later. The only lasting impact of vaccination is the training it provides your immune system.

    Vaccines introduce proteins from a dangerous germ to the body’s immune system. In this way, the body can learn to identify and fight those germs off. Within a couple of weeks, no traces of the vaccine are left in the body. This is because the immune system destroys the proteins. Any other elements of the germ are quickly broken down.

    Like any medication or supplement (including vitamins), there's a chance that there will be a serious side effect. These are rare, but they do happen. When it does, it's usually in the short term when the vaccine is stimulating the immune system. Learn about how Canada makes sure vaccines are safe for you and your family.

    It's far more likely that mRNA vaccines will be like other vaccines. Here's what you need to know about mRNA vaccines:

    • mRNA vaccines are a new vaccine platform, but not a new technology. mRNA therapeutics have been studied for over two decades. Recent scientific advancements have improved mRNA stability and delivery. This has allowed mRNA vaccines and cancer mRNA therapeutics to be put into clinical use. Learn more about the decades of research that went into the development of mRNA vaccines.
    • mRNA vaccines provide instructions to the body to produce a coronavirus protein. The body then recognizes the protein as foreign. These proteins use the body's normal processes to safely produce an immune response. As soon as it is finishing using the mRNA's instructions, the body breaks down and gets rid of the mRNA.
    • Once the mRNA breaks down, the body doesn’t have the ability to produce more of this foreign mRNA. So there’s nothing left of the vaccine long-term. The only long-term impact of the vaccine is immune memory against COVID-19.

    The safety of COVID-19 vaccines are closely monitored. Any safety issues are responded to right away and Canadians are informed about any risks that arise.

  • About reinfection

    According to the Public Health Agency of Canada:

    • Recent evidence suggests that most of those infected with COVID-19 remain at risk of reinfection with similar and other viruses in the Omicron lineage
    • People vaccinated with a complete primary series plus an additional dose of COVID-19 vaccines had an approximately four times lower hospitalization rate and a six times lower mortality rate, compared to unvaccinated people
  • How to report COVID-19 vaccinations received outside of Ontario

    If you have received a COVID-19 vaccination outside of Ontario, report your vaccination using the online form.

    Make sure to still keep your original vaccination certificate (record of vaccination) in a safe place.

Vaccine information

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