COVID-19 Vaccination
Individuals 6 months of age or older who are living, working or going to school in Ontario are eligible for a COVID-19 vaccine, even if they do not have OHIP coverage. Vaccine appointments are available through community immunization clinics, some hospital immunization clinics & some pharmacies. Some locations allow walk-ins.
Spring 2025 (April - June) Vaccine Eligibility
1 booster dose of Pfizer or Moderna Omicron KP2 variant is recommended for the following groups:
*Note: Children between 6 months and 11 years old are only eligible for Moderna
Spring 2025 (April - June) Vaccine Eligibility
1 booster dose of Pfizer or Moderna Omicron KP2 variant is recommended for the following groups:
*Note: Children between 6 months and 11 years old are only eligible for Moderna
- Adults 65 years of age and older
- Adult residents of long-term care homes, other congregate living settings for seniors
- 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
- Individuals 6 months of age and older who are moderately to severely immunocompromised including:
- Solid tumour or hematologic malignancies or treatments for these conditions
- Solid-organ transplant and taking immunosuppressive therapy
- Hematopoietic stem cell transplant (HSCT) (within 2 years of transplantation or
taking immunosuppression therapy) - Immunocompromised due to chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cell therapy
targeting lymphocytes - Moderate to severe primary immunodeficiency with associated humoral and/or cell-
mediated immunodeficiency or immune dysregulation - HIV with AIDS-defining illness or TB diagnosis in last 12 months before starting
vaccine series, or severe immune compromise with CD4 <200 cells/μL or CD4
<15%, or without HIV viral suppression - Recent treatment with the following categories of immunosuppressive therapies:
anti-B cell therapies (monoclonal antibodies targeting CD19, CD20 and CD22),
high-dose systemic corticosteroids, alkylating agents, antimetabolites, or tumor-
necrosis factor (TNF) inhibitors and other biologic agents that are significantly
immunosuppressive - Chronic kidney disease on dialysis
WHEN SHOULD I GET A COVID-19 VACCINE AFTER A COVID-19 INFECTION?
For those in the midst of completing a primary series (2 or 3 doses depending on the vaccine), the next dose can be given 2 months (56 days) after the positive COVID-19 test (if asymptomatic) or from the 1st day of symptoms. For children who developed MIS-C (multisystem inflammatory syndrome) after COVID-19 infection, the recommended interval is at least 3 months (90 days) or longer until symptoms recover. For those who have been previously vaccinated, a booster dose can be given 6 months after a COVID-19 infection.
COVID-19 SELF-isolation
WITH SYMPTOMS:
If you have any severe symptoms (for example, chest pain, difficulty breathing, confusion, losing consciousness) or if you have a child under 3 months old who has a fever or appears unwell, call 911 or go to the nearest emergency department.
COVID-19 symptoms include:
Regardless of whether you tested positive or negative for COVID-19, stay at home until you no longer have a fever, your symptoms have improved for at least 24 hours (48 hours if you have gastrointestinal symptoms) and you are not developing additional symptoms. (If you are immunocompromised, you should stay at home for 10 days). You should wear a well-fitted mask for 10 days from the start of symptoms, avoid activities that require taking off your mask such as dining out, avoid non-essential visits to high risk individuals and to the highest risk settings** such as nursing homes and hospitals.
NO SYMPTOMS:
If you have NO symptoms but tested positive for COVID-19, you should wear a well-fitted mask for 10 days from the start of symptoms, avoid activities that require taking off your mask such as dining out, avoid non-essential visits to high risk individuals and to the highest risk settings** such as nursing homes and hospitals.
Please notify any close contacts to monitor for symptoms for 10 days after the last meeting, to wear a mask and to avoid visiting highest risk settings** such nursing homes. A close contact is anyone you were less than two metres away from for at least 15 minutes, or at least 10 minutes if not wearing masks, in the 48 hours before symptoms began or positive COVID-19 test result, whichever came first.
**Highest risk settings include: hospitals and acute health care settings, congregate living settings such as long-term care and retirement homes, First Nation elder care lodges, group homes, shelters, hospices, temporary foreign worker settings and correctional institutions.
Still not sure if you need to get tested or self-isolate? Click on the button below and take this self assessment test:
If you have any severe symptoms (for example, chest pain, difficulty breathing, confusion, losing consciousness) or if you have a child under 3 months old who has a fever or appears unwell, call 911 or go to the nearest emergency department.
COVID-19 symptoms include:
- Fever and/or chills
- Shortness of breath
- Cough
- Loss of sense of smell or taste
- Runny nose/nasal congestion
- Muscle aches/joint pains
- Extreme tiredness
- Sore throat
- Headache
- Digestive symptoms (ie. nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, stomach pain, loss of appetite)
Regardless of whether you tested positive or negative for COVID-19, stay at home until you no longer have a fever, your symptoms have improved for at least 24 hours (48 hours if you have gastrointestinal symptoms) and you are not developing additional symptoms. (If you are immunocompromised, you should stay at home for 10 days). You should wear a well-fitted mask for 10 days from the start of symptoms, avoid activities that require taking off your mask such as dining out, avoid non-essential visits to high risk individuals and to the highest risk settings** such as nursing homes and hospitals.
NO SYMPTOMS:
If you have NO symptoms but tested positive for COVID-19, you should wear a well-fitted mask for 10 days from the start of symptoms, avoid activities that require taking off your mask such as dining out, avoid non-essential visits to high risk individuals and to the highest risk settings** such as nursing homes and hospitals.
Please notify any close contacts to monitor for symptoms for 10 days after the last meeting, to wear a mask and to avoid visiting highest risk settings** such nursing homes. A close contact is anyone you were less than two metres away from for at least 15 minutes, or at least 10 minutes if not wearing masks, in the 48 hours before symptoms began or positive COVID-19 test result, whichever came first.
**Highest risk settings include: hospitals and acute health care settings, congregate living settings such as long-term care and retirement homes, First Nation elder care lodges, group homes, shelters, hospices, temporary foreign worker settings and correctional institutions.
Still not sure if you need to get tested or self-isolate? Click on the button below and take this self assessment test:
WHERE CAN I GET A COVID-19 PCR TEST?
COVID-19 PCR testing is only available if you have symptoms and belong to the following groups:
- people aged 65 years of age and older
- people who are immunocompromised or use corticosteroids or other immunosuppressive medications
- residents and patients in certain high-risk settings including hospitals and congregate living settings with medically and socially vulnerable individuals (for example, in long-term care and other specific populations and settings)
- people in the context of suspected or confirmed outbreaks, as directed by the local public health unit
- People who use substances regularly
- Persons experiencing homelessness or who are unhoused
- people aged 18 years of age and older who have at least one condition which puts them at higher risk of severe disease including:
- Cancer
- Cerebrovascular disease
- Chronic kidney disease
- Chronic liver diseases (limited to: cirrhosis, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, alcoholic liver disease, and autoimmune hepatitis)
- Chronic lung diseases (limited to: bronchiectasis, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, interstitial lung disease, pulmonary hypertension, pulmonary embolism)
- Cystic fibrosis
- Diabetes mellitus, type 1 and type 2
- Disabilities (e.g. Down syndrome, learning, intellectual, or developmental disabilities; ADHD; cerebral palsy; congenital disabilities; spinal cord injuries)
- Heart conditions (e.g., cardiomyopathies, coronary artery disease, heart failure, etc.)
- HIV infection
- Mental health disorders (limited to: mood disorders, including depression; schizophrenia spectrum disorders)
- Obesity
- Pregnancy and recent pregnancy
- Primary immunodeficiency diseases
- Smoking, current or former
- Solid organ or blood stem cell transplant
- Tuberculosis
After you get tested, you can access your results online by clicking on the button below:
HELP reduce the spread of COVID-19
Even if you had COVID-19, you are not necessarily immune. You can still get COVID-19 again. You can also get COVID-19 even if you are fully vaccinated, though symptoms will be milder and unlikely to require hospitalization.
To protect yourself and others, please continue to:
To protect yourself and others, please continue to:
- Adhere to physical distancing as much as possible. Keep at least 2 meters or 6 feet apart from those who do not live with you.
- Wear a mask in crowded indoor public spaces and in situations where you are unable to physically distance such as private workplaces, public transit, taxis, rideshares. Remember to wear one when reporting to a COVID-19 assessment centre or a hospital or medical clinic.
- Avoid touching your face.
- Cover your cough or sneezes with your elbow, upper sleeve or tissue, not your hand.
- Wash your hands often with soap and water or hand sanitizer if soap and water are not available.
- Self-isolate if you are required to.
ARE THERE MEDICATIONS TO TREAT COVID-19?
Yes, there are medications that may be available to high risk patients within 5 days of symptom onset. Please speak to your physician to see if it is right for you.
Proper Handwashing Technique
Click below to learn more about proper handwashing technique:
| handwashing.pdf |
SELF ISOLATION - HOW TO DO IT?
Click below to learn more about self isolation with no COVID-19 symptoms:
| how-to-self-isolate-no-symptoms_english.pdf |
| how-to-self-isolate-no-symptoms_simplifiedchinese.pdf |
Click below to learn more about self isolation with COVID-19 symptoms
| how-to-self-isolate-with-symptoms_english.pdf |
| how-to-self-isolate-with-symptoms_simplifiedchinese.pdf |
AnY QUESTIONS? CONTACT
- Health Connect Ontario - call 811
- Your family doctor or pediatrician
- Your local public health unit:
Toronto Public Health 416-338-7600
Durham Region Public Health 1-800-841-2729