COVID-19 Vaccine

• Visit www.covidvaccineLM.ca. You must have an email address or a phone that accepts text messages.
• Having difficulty rebooking your vaccine appointment in Elgin County, Oxford County or the City of St. Thomas? Call our Response Centre at 1-800-922-0096 ext. 9 and a member of our team will be happy to help you. Open 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday.
• For help to book an earlier second dose in Middlesex-London, call 226-289-3560 from 8 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. daily.
• Walk-in appointments are welcome at all public health vaccine clinics.

• If your first dose was at a pharmacy, the pharmacy will contact you with an earlier second dose appointment. If you had your appointment 4 or more weeks ago and have not heard from the pharmacy, please call them.
• Find COVID-19 pharmacy vaccine locations from the Province of Ontario.
• If your first dose was at a primary care provider, your provider will contact you with an earlier second dose appointment.
• Astra Zeneca is not available at Public Health clinics

• You can safely accept an mRNA vaccine for your second dose. Speak to your pharmacy or primary care provider to find out what vaccine types they offer. You can also book through public health’s mRNA clinics at www.covidvaccineLM.ca.
  • Need help booking at a public health clinic in Elgin County, Oxford County of City of St. Thomas? Call 1-800-922-0096 ext. 9 (8:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday).
  • Need help booking at a public health clinic in Middlesex-London?

    Call 226-289-3560 (8 a.m. - 7:30 p.m. daily)

On August 17, 2021, the Province of Ontario announced a very narrow group of high-risk individuals are eligible for a third dose vaccination. Eligibility was further expanded on September 14, 2021. This is specifically for added protection against the Delta variant. If you are eligible, you will be contacted by your specialist or health care provider. Please do not call for a third dose appointment.

• Transplant recipients (including solid organ transplant and hematopoietic stem cell transplants);
• Patients with hematological cancers (examples include lymphoma, myeloma, leukemia) on active treatment (chemotherapy, targeted therapies, immunotherapy);
• Recipients of an anti-CD20 agent (e.g. rituximab, ocrelizumab, ofatumumab); and
• Residents of high-risk congregate settings including long-term care homes, higher-risk licensed retirement homes and First Nations elder care lodges.
• Those undergoing active treatment for solid tumors;
• Those who are in receipt of chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-T-cell;
• Those with moderate or severe primary immunodeficiency (e.g., DiGeorge syndrome, Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome);
• Stage 3 or advanced untreated HIV infection and those with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome; and
• Those undergoing active 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.

• Wear a face covering at all times
• Wear short sleeves
• Bring health card and ID
• If you have a scheduled appointment, arrive on time – not early
• Cancel if self-isolating, have COVID symptoms, or travelled in the last 14 days

Here is some additional information to prepare for your appointment: 

• Ministry of Health - What You Need to Know About Your COVID-19 Appointment
• Ministry of Health - COVID-19 Vaccine Information Sheet
• Ministry of Health materials in additional languages

Feeling nervous?

If you are nervous about getting a COVID-19 vaccine or are afraid of needles, the CARD (Comfort, Ask, Relax, Distract) system may be able to help. Our team of professionals at the Immunization Clinics will do everything they can to help you have a comfortable experience.

Here is what you can expect on the day of your appointment, along with a few important things to remember:

• Plan to spend about 30 minutes at the clinic.
• Parking is free.
• You will be screened for COVID-19 at the door. Please, DO NOT ATTEND if you are experiencing any COVID-19 symptoms, are self-isolating, or have travelled outside of Canada in the last 14 days.
• You will be asked to follow all COVID-19 public health guidelines including masking, hand hygiene, and physical distancing. If you do not have a face covering, a mask will be provided upon entry.
• After you receive your vaccination, you will be asked to wait for a 15 minute recovery period before exiting the clinic.
• Washrooms are available on site. 

Personal support

Please bring a support person with you when you come for your vaccination appointment if you require assistance related to any mobility, visual, hearing or cognitive concern. Your support person will be able to attend the appointment with you, and they will need to pass a COVID-19 screening questionnaire when you arrive at the vaccination clinic. 

Be aware of common side effects

Like other vaccines or medications, the COVID-19 vaccine can cause side effects. Not everyone will experience these and most are minor or not long-lasting. Examples include:

• Pain at injection site, redness, or swelling
• Tiredness
• Headache
• Muscle pain, or joint pain
• Chills, or fever

Serious side effects from the COVID-19 vaccine are rare. If you experience a serious side effect after being vaccinated, seek medical attention right away.

Get your second dose

You are not fully immunized until you have completed both doses of the COVID-19 vaccine. After your first appointment, make an appointment or follow instructions from your health care provider to ensure you receive the second dose at the right time. 

It is very important that you receive a second dose, even if you experienced mild side effects after the first dose. 

Continue following public health guidelines

Remember to continue following public health measures until more of our community is vaccinated against COVID-19: 

• Wear a face covering or mask
• Keep physically distanced from others
• Get tested if you feel sick or have symptoms of COVID-19
• Stay home when sick
• Wash or sanitize your hands often

mRNA vaccines use messenger RNA to teach the body’s cells how to make a protein which will cause your body to have an immune response and make antibodies. These antibodies then help fight an infection if the virus later enters the body. These vaccines do not use a live virus so they cannot give you COVID-19.

Did you know? The Pfizer and Moderna vaccines are interchangeable. This means it doesn't matter which vaccine you get for your second dose - it can be "either/or". Biologically they work the same way in your body. If you get two of the same mRNA vaccines, or one of each, the end result will be excellent protection from COVID-19 and its variants.

Learn more about COVID-19 mRNA vaccines from Health Canada. 

Learn about COVID-19 viral vector-based vaccines from Health Canada. 

Yes. Only vaccines that Health Canada determine to be safe and effective are approved for use in Canada and made available in Ontario.

Learn more about vaccine safety:

• COVID-19 Vaccine Safety (Government of Ontario)
• Vaccine safety, concerns and possible side effects (Health Canada)
• Vaccine Development and Approval Process (Health Canada)
• What You Need to Know About COVID-19 Vaccine in Canada (Health Canada)
• Reported Side Effects Following COVID-19 Vaccination in Canada (Health Canada)

Watch these videos to learn more about COVID-19 vaccines and vaccine safety in Canada:

• Vaccine safety in Canada (Health Canada)
• Ask Ontario Doctors – COVID-19 Vaccine Facts (Ontario Medical Association)
• Vaccine Safety (Immunize Canada)

COVID-19 vaccines go through the same review process that all vaccines go through to be authorized for use by Health Canada. Given the scale and urgency of the global pandemic, the Federal Government of Canada dedicated scientific, financial and human resources to complete the review process for COVID-19 vaccines as soon as possible.

Learn more about Vaccine Development and Approval in Canada from Health Canada. 

Receiving an mRNA vaccine (Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna) after receiving AstraZeneca for your first dose

In the National Advisory Committee on Immunization (NACI) statement of June 17, 2021, NACI recommends that an mRNA vaccine is preferred as the second dose for people who received a first dose of the AstraZeneca/COVISHIELD vaccine. This is based upon studies that suggest a better immune response when the mRNA Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine is provided as the second shot. Since the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines are considered interchangeable, the second dose can also be of Moderna. Evidence continues to support this mixed vaccine schedule is safe.

Receiving a different mRNA vaccine for your second dose

The practice of mixing similar vaccines from different manufacturers for different doses (known as a heterologous vaccine schedule) is not new. It is used when vaccine supply or programs change, and is consistent with the guidance of the National Advisory Committee on Immunization (NACI).

Similar vaccines from different manufacturers are interchangeable when they:

• Are authorized for the same purpose
• Are authorized for the same populations
• Have similar schedules
• Have similar, or produce similar, types of antigens
• Have similar vaccine safety profiles
• Provide similar immune response and protection

Pfizer and Moderna vaccines meet all these criteria and are essentially the same vaccine, just produced by a different manufacturer. Therefore, there is no reason to believe that mixing mRNA COVID-19 vaccines will make them unsafe or less effective. Due to this, NACI has declared the two mRNA vaccines to be interchangeable. Results from ongoing studies, including Canadian data, is also closely monitored by NACI to ensure ongoing safety and to make any updated recommendations.

Learn more

• A Safe and Effective Second Dose (Ministry of Health)
• Recommendations on the use of COVID-19 Vaccines (NACI)
• mRNA COVID-19 Vaccines - What's the Difference?

Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre has created a great list of resources for women considering COVID-19 vaccine who are trying to conceive, pregnant or breastfeeding: https://sunnybrook.ca/content/?page=pregnancy-breastfeeding-fertility-covid-19-vaccine 

Other organizations have also released information that might interest you:

• Health Canada
• Dalhousie University
• Canadian Society of Obstetricians and Gynecologists 

• Following Ontario's re-opening rules for each stage
• Wearing a face covering (mask)
• Washing/cleaning hands often
• Staying at least 2 metres (6 feet) apart from others
• Avoiding non-essential travel
• Staying home when sick

Learn more about preventing the spread of COVID-19.

High rates of vaccination against COVID-19 are critical to helping protect our communities and hospital capacity while keeping Ontario schools and businesses safely open.

The government released the regulations and guidance for businesses and organizations to support them in implementing proof of vaccination requirements, which take effect on September 22, 2021.

*Please note, this form is ONLY for residents of Elgin County, Oxford County and the City of St. Thomas.*

In Oxford County, Oxford County Community Support Services has received funding to provide free transportation to COVID-19 vaccination clinics. If you have a physical, mental, developmental or learning disability, or experience mobility, vision or hearing impairment issues and are facing barriers in getting to and from your COVID-19 vaccine appointment, you can contact 1-888-866-7518 or oxford.intake@von.ca to book your free trip. This program is generously funded by the Province of Ontario.

Thank you for asking! We've developed materials that you can share with friends, family, clients, customers and the broader community. 

• Business Door Sign - Vaccination is Key to Reopening Business
• Social Media Graphic - Vaccination is Key to Reopening Business
• Poster - Celebrations
• Poster - Youth Sport
• Poster - Adult Sport
• Poster - Thriving Business
• Poster - In person learning
• Poster - In person worship
• Poster - Hugging Family
• Facebook Profile Picture Frame
• Vaccination is Key logo

Vaccine Resources for Adults:

• Ministry of Health - What You Need to Know About Your COVID-19 Appointment
• Ministry of Health - COVID-19 Vaccine Information Sheet
• Ministry of Health materials in additional languages

Vaccine Resources for Youth:

• Ministry of Health – COVID-19 Vaccines for Youth
• Southwestern Public Health - COVID-19 Vaccines & You information guide 
• Ministry of Health - COVID-19 Vaccine Information Sheet (under age 18)
• Ministry of Health - What youth need to know about their appointment
• Questions and Answers about COVID-19 Vaccines for Ontario Youth (from experts in children's care at McMaster Children's Hospital, Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario, Toronto Sick Kids, Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Centre, LHSC Children's Hospital and others)