COVID-19 Vaccines

Who is eligible to receive the vaccine?

First dose

All residents 5+

Proof of eligibility requirement: ID with date of birth

See more: Covid 19 vaccine uxbridge ontario

Second dose

There is emerging evidence that longer intervals between the first and second doses of COVID-19 vaccines result in more robust and durable immune response and higher vaccine effectiveness.

On November 15, the Ministry of Health updated guidance to recommend that the second dose occur at a recommended dose interval of 8 weeks (56 days) for mRNA vaccines (Moderna and Pfizer-BioNTech) and at least 8 weeks (56 days) for AstraZeneca vaccine.

Frequently asked questions

I am receiving my first vaccine dose. How do I book my second dose?

If a second dose appointment is not available at the same clinic, options for your second dose will be discussed and may include:

• An appointment at another community immunization clinic location, or
• A pop-up or mobile clinic, or
• A health care provider’s office, or
• Local pharmacy.

Can COVID-19 vaccines be mixed?

mRNA vaccines (Pfizer and Moderna)

• Yes, the National Advisory Committee on Immunization recommends that if the mRNA vaccine (Pfizer and Moderna) a person received as their first dose is not available, they can safely receive another mRNA vaccine to complete their vaccination.
• Mixing COVID-19 vaccines is safe, effective, and enables Ontarians to benefit from the protection of a booster dose.
• Both the Moderna and Pfizer COVID-19 vaccines provide strong protection against COVID-19 and its variants.
• Both mRNA COVID-19 vaccines (Pfizer and Moderna) authorized for use in Canada work in the same way.
• With increased cases of the Delta and Omicron variant of concern, it is important that all individuals complete their vaccine series with a second or third dose of the most readily available COVID-19 vaccine for optimal protection.

I received COVID-19 vaccine(s) outside of Ontario or Canada. What’s next?

Review the requirements for COVID-19 vaccine received outside of Ontario.

How can I access the provincial call line for more information?

Provincial call line for questions and general information.

Third dose

The Ontario government has announced that the following populations are eligible for third dose COVID-19 vaccination with the vaccine product authorized for their age group.

The following populations eligible for a third dose a minimum of 84 days after their SECOND dose

Age-based eligibility (must be 18 years of age at the time of immunization)

Proof of eligibility requirement: ID with date of birth

See more: Covid 19 vaccine uxbridge ontario

Who:

• Individuals 18 years of age and older.
• Must be 18 years of age at the time of immunization.

Interval criteria: A minimum of 84 days after SECOND dose

How to receive vaccine:

• Book an appointment at a community immunization clinic by visiting daypg.com/VaccineAppointment or calling the call centre at 1-888-444-5113.
• Pharmacies administering COVID-19 vaccine
• Primary care provider

Adolescents 12 to 17 years of age (select populations)

Proof of eligibility requirement: ID with date of birth and verbally attest to having a listed medical condition

Who: Adolescents, 12 to 17 years of age at time of immunization, who have an underlying medical condition that may put them at high risk of severe illness due to COVID-19, including those with one or more of the following underlying health conditions:

• Immunocompromised individuals and those who have already received a three-dose primary series (for adolescents who are immunocompromised, a booster dose would be their fourth dose)
• Cancer – active treatment
• Chronic kidney disease
• Chronic lung diseases, including uncontrolled asthma
• Cystic fibrosis
• Neurodevelopmental and other chronic neurological conditions including epilepsy and cerebrovascular disease
• Diabetes (type 1 & 2)
• Down syndrome
• Congenital heart disease or other chronic heart diseases, including pulmonary hypertension
• Chronic liver disease
• Obesity (BMI ≥30)
• Pregnancy
• Sickle cell disease or thalassemia
• Substance use disorders
• Medically fragile/having medically complex needs

Interval criteria: A minimum of 84 days after SECOND dose

How to receive vaccine:

• Book an appointment at a community immunization clinic by visiting daypg.com/VaccineAppointment or calling the call centre at 1-888-444-5113.
• Pharmacies administering COVID-19 vaccine
• Primary care provider

Health care workers and medical first responders (must be 16 years of age or older at the time of immunization)

Proof of eligibility requirement: Verbally attest to being a health care worker or essential caregiver

Who:

• Any regulated health professionals and any staff member, contract worker, student/trainee, registered volunteer, or other designated essential caregiver currently working in-person in a health care organization, including workers that are not providing direct patient care and are frequently in the patient environment (e.g. cleaning staff, research staff, other administrative staff).
• Workers providing health care service or direct patient service in a congregate, residential or community setting outside of a health care organization.
• Must be 16 years of age or older at the time of immunization.
• See a complete list of health care workers eligible for booster doses.

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Interval criteria: A minimum of 84 days after SECOND dose

How to receive vaccine:

• Book an appointment at a community immunization clinic by visiting daypg.com/VaccineAppointment or calling the call centre at 1-888-444-5113.
• Pharmacies administering COVID-19 vaccine
• Primary care provider

First Nation, Inuit and Métis individuals (must be 12 years of age or older at the time of immunization)

Proof of eligibility requirement: Verbally attest to being First Nation, Inuit or Métis or to being a household member of an Indigenous individual

Who:

• First Nation, Inuit and Métis individuals, including non-Indigenous household members.
• Must be 12 years of age or older at the time of immunization.

Interval criteria: A minimum of 84 days after SECOND dose

How to receive vaccine:

• Book an appointment at a community immunization clinic by visiting daypg.com/VaccineAppointment or calling the call centre at 1-888-444-5113.
• Pharmacies administering COVID-19 vaccine
• Primary care provider

Recipients of a viral vector vaccine or series

Proof of eligibility requirement: ID with date of birth

See more: Covid 19 vaccine uxbridge ontario

Who:

• Primary series completed with only viral vector vaccines.
• Individuals who received two doses of AstraZeneca/COVISHIELD COVID-19 vaccine.
• Individuals who received one dose of Janssen/Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine.

Interval criteria: A minimum of 84 days after SECOND dose

How to receive vaccine:

• Book an appointment at a community immunization clinic by visiting daypg.com/VaccineAppointment or calling the call centre at 1-888-444-5113.
• Pharmacies administering COVID-19 vaccine
• Primary care provider

Residents of long-term care homes, retirement homes or seniors in other congregate settings

Proof of eligibility requirement: Verbally attest to being a resident of a listed seniors congregate living setting

Who: Residents of long-term care homes, retirement homes, elder care lodges, and older adults living in other congregate settings (e.g., assisted-living facilities, chronic care hospitals, naturally occurring congregate retirement settings/congregate senior’s apartment buildings, older adults living in congregate settings for people with developmental disabilities, mental health and addictions issues, etc.).

Interval criteria: A minimum of 84 days after SECOND dose

How to receive vaccine:

• The Health Department is working with these facilities to coordinate vaccination of residents at their residence.
• Appointments can also be booked at a community immunization clinic by visiting daypg.com/VaccineAppointment or calling the call centre at 1-888-444-5113.

Frequently asked questions

I am eligible to receive a third dose. How do I book my third dose?

There are many ways to receive a third COVID-19 vaccine dose once you are eligible.

You can receive your third dose via:

• Select health care providers
• Participating pharmacies
• The provincial GO-VAXX COVID-19 clinic program
• Durham Region community immunization clinics

Which vaccine will I receive as my third dose?

• Pfizer is currently the only vaccine that will be offered to youth ages 12 to 17 at vaccine clinics across Durham Region.
• For individuals 18 years of age and older, either Moderna or Pfizer vaccine may be used as a third dose (regardless of which COVID-19 vaccine was used in the primary series). Both the Moderna and Pfizer COVID-19 vaccines provide strong protection against COVID-19 and its variants. It is safe and effective to mix COVID-19 vaccines.

For additional information, see our frequently asked question regarding what vaccine is recommended as a third dose for individuals 18 to 29 years old.

How long do I have to wait after I had COVID-19 infection to get my booster dose?

It is recommended that individuals 12 years of age and older, infected with COVID-19 after their primary series but before their booster dose, receive their booster dose 3 months after symptoms started or after testing positive (if no symptoms were experienced).

Emerging evidence indicates that a longer interval between COVID-19 infection and vaccination is associated with improved antibody responses to COVID-19 vaccines.

With informed consent, individuals may receive a booster dose once they are asymptomatic and have completed their isolation.

What vaccine is recommended as a third dose for 18-29 years old? Pfizer is recommended for individuals aged 18 to 29 due to lower reported rates of myocarditis/pericarditis following vaccination with Pfizer compared to Moderna. Moderna can be administered with informed consent of this increased risk.

Three dose primary series

Moderately to severely immunocompromised individuals due to medical condition Who: Individuals 5 years of age and older (must be at least 5 years of age at the time of vaccination) with one of the medical conditions listed below:

• Individuals receiving dialysis (hemodialysis or peritoneal dialysis).
• Individuals receiving active treatment (e.g., chemotherapy, targeted therapies, immunotherapy) for solid tumour or hematologic malignancies. Active treatment includes patients who have completed treatment within 3 months.
• Recipients of solid-organ transplant and taking immunosuppressive therapy.
• Recipients of chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-T-cell therapy or hematopoietic stem cell transplant (within 2 years of transplantation or taking immunosuppression therapy).
• Individuals with moderate to severe primary immunodeficiency (e.g., DiGeorge syndrome, Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome).
• Individuals with HIV with prior AIDS defining illness or prior CD4 count ≤ 200/mm3 or prior CD4 fraction ≤ 15% or (in children 5-11 years) perinatally acquired HIV infection

First, second and third dose interval: Minimum 56 days (8 weeks) between each dose.

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How to receive vaccine: Before vaccination, these individuals should discuss their vaccine plans with their health care providers to check if it will affect their treatment.

Proof of eligibility requirements: Verbally attest to have a listed medical condition

• Book an appointment at a community immunization clinic by visiting daypg.com/VaccineAppointment or calling the call centre at 1-888-444-5113.
• Book an appointment through the Lakeridge Health website.
• Pharmacies administering COVID-19 vaccine
• Primary care provider

Individuals receiving immunosuppressive medication

Who: Individuals 5 years of age and older (must be at least 5 years of age at time of immunization) receiving active treatment with the following categories of immunosuppressive therapies: anti-B cell therapies* (monoclonal antibodies targeting CD19, CD20 and CD22), high-dose systemic corticosteroids (refer to the CIG for suggested definition of high dose steroids), alkylating agents, antimetabolites, or tumor-necrosis factor (TNF) inhibitors and other biologic agents that are significantly immunosuppressive.*Active treatment for patients receiving B-cell depleting therapy includes patients who have completed treatment within 12 months.

See Table 1 of COVID-19 Vaccine Third Dose Recommendations

First, second and third dose interval: Minimum 56 days (8 weeks) between each dose.

How to receive vaccine: Before vaccination, these individuals should discuss their vaccine plans with their health care providers to check if it will affect their treatment.

Proof of eligibility requirements: Verbally attest to receiving listed immunosuppressant medications or therapies

• Book an appointment at a community immunization clinic by visiting daypg.com/VaccineAppointment or calling the call centre at 1-888-444-5113.
• Book an appointment through the Lakeridge Health website.
• Pharmacies administering COVID-19 vaccine
• Primary care provider

Fourth dose

Moderately to severely immunocompromised individuals due to medical condition

Who: Individuals 12 years of age or older (must be 12 years of age or older at time of immunization), and meet at least one of the following criteria:

• Individuals receiving dialysis (hemodialysis or peritoneal dialysis).
• Individuals receiving active treatment (e.g., chemotherapy, targeted therapies, immunotherapy) for solid tumour or hematologic malignancies. Active treatment includes patients who have completed treatment within 3 months.
• Recipients of solid-organ transplant and taking immunosuppressive therapy.
• Recipients of chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-T-cell therapy or hematopoietic stem cell transplant (within 2 years of transplantation or taking immunosuppression therapy).
• Individuals with moderate to severe primary immunodeficiency (e.g., DiGeorge syndrome, Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome).
• Individuals with HIV with prior AIDS defining illness or prior CD4 count ≤ 200/mm3 or prior CD4 fraction ≤ 15%

Fourth dose interval: Minimum 84 days (3 months) following third dose.

How to receive vaccine: Before vaccination, these individuals should discuss their vaccine plans with their health care providers to check if it will affect their treatment.

Proof of eligibility requirements: Verbally attest to have a listed medical condition

• Book an appointment at a community immunization clinic by visiting daypg.com/VaccineAppointment or calling the call centre at 1-888-444-5113.
• Book an appointment through the Lakeridge Health website.
• Pharmacies administering COVID-19 vaccine
• Primary care provider

Individuals receiving immunosuppressive medication

Who: Individuals 12 years of age or older (must be 12 years of age or older at time of immunization) and receiving active treatment with the following categories of immunosuppressive therapies: anti-B cell therapies* (monoclonal antibodies targeting CD19, CD20 and CD22), high-dose systemic corticosteroids (refer to the CIG for suggested definition of high dose steroids), alkylating agents, antimetabolites, or tumor-necrosis factor (TNF) inhibitors and other biologic agents that are significantly immunosuppressive.*Active treatment for patients receiving B-cell depleting therapy includes patients who have completed treatment within 12 months.

See Table 1: List of immunosuppressive medications

Fourth dose interval: Minimum 84 days (3 months) following third dose.

How to receive vaccine: Before vaccination, these individuals should discuss their vaccine plans with their health care providers to check if it will affect their treatment.

Proof of eligibility requirements: Verbally attest to receiving listed immunosuppressant medications or therapies

• Book an appointment at a community immunization clinic by visiting daypg.com/VaccineAppointment or calling the call centre at 1-888-444-5113.
• Book an appointment through the Lakeridge Health website.
• Pharmacies administering COVID-19 vaccine
• Primary care provider

Residents of long-term care homes, retirement homes or seniors in other congregate settings

Who: Residents of long-term care homes, retirement homes, elder care lodges, and older adults living in other congregate settings (e.g., assisted-living facilities, chronic care hospitals, naturally occurring congregate retirement settings/congregate senior’s apartment buildings, older adults living in congregate settings for people with developmental disabilities, mental health and addictions issues, etc.).

Fourth dose interval: Minimum 84 days (3 months) following third dose.

How to receive vaccine:

• The Health Department is working with these facilities to coordinate vaccination of residents at their residence.
• Appointments can also be booked at a community immunization clinic by visiting daypg.com/VaccineAppointment or calling the call centre at 1-888-444-5113.

Proof of eligibility requirement: Verbally attest to being a resident of a listed seniors congregate living setting

Re-vaccination

Special populations

According to the Ministry of Health, it is recommended that individuals meeting the following criteria be re-vaccinated with a new COVID-19 vaccine primary series after transplantation:

• Hematopoietic stem cell transplant (HSCT)
• Hematopoietic cell transplants (HCT) (autologous or allogeneic)
• Recipients of CAR-T-cell therapy

Re-vaccination is recommended due to the loss of immunity following therapy or transplant. The timing for re-vaccination should be decided on a case-by-case basis in collaboration with the medical team.

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