COVID‑19 vaccines
Learn about Ontario’s COVID-19 vaccination program and how to book a vaccine.
If you are at increased risk of severe illness from COVID-19, it is recommended that you receive an additional dose of a COVID-19 vaccine this spring.
If you are not at increased risk, it is not recommended that you receive a dose this spring. Further vaccine recommendations will be available closer to fall 2024.
If your health care provider has recommended you receive a dose at this time OR if you are starting or completing a primary series, please contact participating pharmacies near you, the Provincial Vaccine Contact Centre or your local public health unit to book an appointment.
Who can get vaccinated
Getting vaccinated and staying up to date with your COVID-19 vaccinations is the best way to remain protected against the most severe outcomes of COVID-19 infection including hospitalization and death.
Vaccination may not always prevent symptomatic infection but it will help reduce severity if a person does become infected and decreases the risk of developing post COVID-19 condition (commonly known as long COVID).
COVID-19 vaccines are available to everybody aged 6 months and older in Ontario at no cost, regardless of citizenship or immigration status, even if you do not have an Ontario health card.
If you do not have an Ontario health card, you may use another form of identification (photo identification is required if you are aged 18 or older) to verify your name and date of birth, such as:
- a driver’s licence or Ontario photo card
- a passport
- a piece of registered mail, pay stub, student card, library card
- government issued identification from other jurisdictions (including foreign and expired government documents)
When you should get your next dose
It is recommended that individuals who are at increased risk of severe illness from COVID-19 receive an additional dose of a COVID-19 vaccine.
It is recommended that you receive an additional dose this spring if you are:
- aged 65 years and older
- a resident of a long-term care home or other congregate living setting for seniors
- aged 6 months and older and are moderately to severely immunocompromised (due to an underlying condition or treatment)
- aged 55 years and older and identify as First Nations, Inuit, or Metis or their non-Indigenous household member and are aged 55 years and older
This additional vaccine dose can provide added protection that may have decreased over time for those at increased risk.
Individuals outside of these groups may choose to receive an additional dose if it is recommended from a health care provider OR they are starting or completing a primary series.
All other individuals are not currently recommended to receive a COVID-19 vaccine dose this spring and should wait until further recommendations are available closer to fall 2024.
Eligible individuals may receive a COVID-19 vaccine if it has been six months since their previous dose or confirmed COVID-19 infection.
If you haven’t had previous vaccinations
Infants and children aged 6 months to 4 years with no previous COVID-19 vaccinations may use a 2- or 3-dose series of an XBB formulation, depending on the product. Vaccine site administrators will advise the appropriate interval between doses.
People aged 5 years and older with no previous COVID-19 vaccinations only require 1 dose of an XBB formulation.
Individuals who are moderately to severely immunocompromised with no previous vaccinations are recommended to receive 1 additional dose of the XBB formulation this fall compared to what is stated above.
If you are immunocompromised
Individuals who are moderately to severely immunocompromised should get an additional dose of a COVID-19 vaccine this spring. This is particularly important for those who did not receive a dose last fall.
The decision of when to receive COVID-19 vaccine doses may be appropriate at different times for individuals based on their unique health status and personal situation. Individuals are encouraged to speak with their health care provider.
Contact your health care provider if you have received a hematopoietic stem cell transplant, hematopoietic cell transplant (autologous or allogeneic) or have had (CAR)-T-cell therapy after your COVID-19 vaccination(s). You may be recommended to be re-vaccinated due to loss of immunity following transplant or therapy.
COVID-19 doses and other vaccines
Individuals aged 6 months and older can receive a COVID-19 vaccine at the same time as, or at any time before or after other routine vaccinations.
When you should consult your doctor before getting the vaccine
Contact your doctor or health care provider if you have questions about getting the vaccine or if the person getting vaccinated:
- is immunocompromised due to disease or treatment (to discuss optimal timing for vaccination)
- has had a severe allergic reaction after a COVID-19 vaccination or has an allergy to a component of the COVID-19 vaccine
Read the Canadian Immunization Guide for more information.
If you’ve had COVID-19
If you’ve already had COVID-19, you should still be vaccinated for protection from reinfection or severe outcomes according to current vaccine recommendations. While infection alone provides some protection, vaccination combined with infection helps further improve the immune response.
Even if you’ve recovered from COVID-19, you are not immune and can still get the virus, be contagious while not showing any symptoms, and spread it to others in your community.
If you were vaccinated outside of Ontario
If you need to record a COVID-19 vaccine received outside of Ontario or Canada, you should contact your local public health unit.
Recording out-of-province or out-of-country doses is important to ensure future COVID-19 vaccine doses can be given safely and at the appropriate time intervals.
Out-of-province doses should be recorded if:
- a child is younger than 5 years old and has received 1 or more doses outside of Ontario approved COVID-19 vaccine, to ensure they have completed the appropriate number of doses for optimal protection
- you are aged 5 years and older and have received 1 or more doses outside of Ontario within the last 6 months, to ensure future doses (if needed) can be given at the appropriate interval
Other doses can be recorded at the discretion of the local public health unit.
You must provide proof, such as an immunization record, to your public health unit to be registered. The public health unit may ask for additional proof of vaccination, such as clinic or pharmacy information or travel documents such as a boarding pass.
If you applied to have your out of province vaccination(s) registered with your public health unit and are waiting to have it registered, you can call the Provincial Vaccine Contact Centre (PVCC) to book your next vaccine appointment if you fit all of these criteria:
- you have an Ontario health card or COVID ID (a unique number assigned to you by your public health unit in place of an Ontario health card number)
- your public health unit uses the provincial booking system
- you can bring your out of province vaccination receipts to your vaccination appointment for validation
The PVCC can be reached by phone at
The information is available in more than 300 languages, Monday to Friday (excluding holidays) from 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Eastern time.
Vaccine types
Only vaccines that Health Canada has approved and determined to be safe and effective will be administered in Ontario.
All vaccines:
- are safe
- can be safely mixed for individuals 6 months and older
- provide strong protection against severe illness from COVID-19 and its variants
If you have an allergy or contraindication to mRNA vaccines or if you do not wish to receive an mRNA vaccine, Novavax is available upon request through your local public health unit, health care provider or participating pharmacy. Novavax is authorized for those aged 12 years and older.
COVID-19 vaccines have varying doses based on product or age of indication. You will be offered an age-appropriate and Health Canada approved booster dose based on your eligibility at the time of vaccination.
Learn more about the vaccines from Health Canada.
Vaccines for children and youth
Vaccines are safe, effective, and are the best way to remain protected against COVID-19 and its variants. They are an important tool to help prevent serious illness and support the overall health and wellbeing of our children and communities.
Health Canada has approved COVID‑19 vaccines for use in children aged 6 months and older and determined that these vaccines:
- are safe, effective and manufactured with rigorous quality control and assurance
- show a strong immune response and prepare the immune system to fight against COVID‑19 and its variants
- significantly decrease the risk of severe outcomes from COVID‑19 infection
- significantly decrease the risk of longer-term illness from multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C) or adults (MIS-A), a rare but serious condition that can occur in the weeks following COVID‑19 infection
It will not interfere with getting other vaccines
Children and youth who are not up to date on other vaccines can still receive a COVID‑19 vaccine.
If your child is behind on immunizations, we encourage you to contact their health care provider to get up to date.
Children aged 6 months and older can receive a COVID-19 vaccine at the same time as, or at any time before or after other routine vaccines. Parents and caregivers should discuss vaccination with their health care provider to determine the best timing for COVID-19 vaccination.
Learn more about vaccines for children at school.
Where to get vaccinated
Eligible individuals aged 6 months and older can book an appointment through:
- participating pharmacies
- the COVID‑19 vaccination portal
- the Provincial Vaccine Contact Centre at
1-833-943-3900 , available in more than 300 languages, Monday to Friday (excluding holidays) from 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Eastern time (TTY for people who are deaf, hearing-impaired or speech-impaired:1-866-797-0007 ) - public health units using their own booking system
- participating primary care providers
- Indigenous-led vaccination clinics
Public health units may also offer additional options for vaccination for children aged 6 months to 4 years old, such as walk-in clinics, which will not be on the COVID‑19 vaccination portal. For information on local options, please visit your local public health unit website.
Indigenous-led clinics
If you identify as First Nations, Inuit or Métis, you can find information about vaccination or book an appointment to get your COVID‑19 vaccine through an Indigenous-led vaccination clinic.
| Service area | Organization | Booking options |
|---|---|---|
| Provincewide | Indigenous Primary Health Care Council | Online: find your nearest Aboriginal Health Access Centre |
| Northern Ontario | Nishnawbe Aski Nation | Online: find a list of urban community members vaccination clinics and booking information |
| Ottawa and surrounding regions | Akausivik Inuit Family Health Team | Online: find booking and eligibility information Phone: |
| Ottawa | Ottawa Public Health and Wabano Centre for Aboriginal Health | Phone: (Monday to Friday, 7:30 a.m. to 6 p.m., and |
| Thunder Bay | Ontario Native Women’s Association, Mindimooyenh Vaccination Clinic | Online: complete the online registration form Phone: |
| Toronto and surrounding areas | Auduzhe, Anishnawbe Health Toronto and partnered clinics | Online: find a list of clinics and booking information Phone: |
Get general vaccine information
It’s okay to still have questions about the vaccine. If you do, you can:
- contact the Provincial Vaccine Contact Centre to speak to an agent at
1-833-943-3900 , available in more than 300 languages, Monday to Friday (excluding holidays) from 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Eastern time (TTY for people who are deaf, hearing-impaired or speech-impaired:1-866-797-0007 - contact your local public health unit
- book a phone appointment with the VaxFacts Clinic to speak with a trusted physician from the Scarborough Health Network at shn.ca/vaxfacts
- visit Health811 online or call
811 (TTY: 1-866-797-0007 toll free) for health advice and information 24 hours a day, 7 days a week
Parents and guardians
- talk to your child’s family doctor, paediatrician or nurse practitioner
Help with the COVID‑19 vaccination portal or obtaining proof of vaccination
For help with booking an appointment using the COVID‑19 vaccination portal or obtaining proof of vaccination, call the Provincial Vaccine Contact Centre at