COVID-19 Vaccine

1. When will I be vaccinated?

Vaccinations in the Southwestern Public Health region will be rolled out according to Ontario’s COVID-19 vaccination plan. Vaccines will be available widely across Ontario for anyone who wants to be immunized in Phase 3. Please continue to follow our website and social media for further updates as more information becomes available. The timelines could move up and you may be able to get vaccinated sooner as more approved COVID19 vaccines are available and as manufacturers increase production of these vaccines.

Learn how Ontario is prioritizing individuals who will become eligible in Phase 2 rollouts.

2. Is there a waitlist for COVID-19 vaccinations?

No. Public Health does not keep a waitlist for COVID-19 vaccinations. When vaccines are about to become widely available, we will share the details widely with our communities.  

Adults aged 60 or older who need help booking an appointment at a public health vaccination clinic can sign up for support. Please share this information with loved ones to help them access an appointment sooner. Sign up for the help list here.

3. What can I do right now to protect myself and my community?

Until vaccines are widely available, it is important to continue following public health measures to protect yourself, your loved ones and your community against COVID-19. That means:

• staying home except for essential reasons
• avoiding gatherings with people that don’t live in your household (individuals who live alone can have exclusive close contact with one other household)
• 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.

4. What vaccines are currently approved for use in Canada?

These are the COVID-19 vaccines approved for use by Health Canada. Many other vaccines are in the development and review process.

Learn about each of the approved vaccines, including how they work, how they are given, ingredients, allergies, possible side effects, safety monitoring and more:

• Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine
• Moderna COVID-19 Vaccine
• AstraZeneca COVID-19 Vaccine
• Janssen COVID-19 Vaccine

View a Comparison Chart on Authorized COVID-19 Vaccines in Canada.

5. How do mRNA vaccines work?

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 which causes COVID-19 later enters the body. These vaccines do not use a live virus so they cannot give you COVID-19.

Learn more about COVID-19 mRNA vaccines. 

6. How do the AstraZeneca and Johnson & Johnson vaccines work? 

Learn more about the AstraZeneca and Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccines.

7. How were COVID-19 vaccines approved so quickly?

COVID-19 vaccines go through the same review process that all vaccines go through to be authorized for use by Health Canada. 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 Health Canada’s Vaccine Development and Approval Process.

8. Are COVID-19 vaccines safe?

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)

9. Can I still get the vaccine if I had COVID-19?

• Individuals with high-risk chronic conditions are eligible in phase 2 of the province’s COVID-19 vaccination plan, which is set to run from April-July (depending on doses available).
• The province has grouped chronic conditions eligible in phase 2 into three categories: “highest risk”, “high-risk” and “at-risk”. View the provinces phase 2 prioritization resource to learn more about these categories (pg. 16).
• Currently, in the Southwestern Public Health region, only those with “highest risk” or “high risk” health conditions are eligible. Please view the complete list here. In addition, one (1) primary essential caregiver for an individual with an eligible high risk health condition is now also eligible to receive the COVID-19 vaccine.  
• Individuals booking an appointment with one of these eligible health conditions will be required to confirm the condition on booking. Written documentation or proof of an eligible health condition is not required from a health care provider.

11. Can I get my second dose sooner than 112 days after my first dose?

Given the limited COVID-19 vaccine supply, the Province is following the National Advisory Committee on Immunization Recommendations on the use of COVID-19 Vaccines. These recommendations state that: “in the context of limited vaccine supply and ongoing pandemic disease, jurisdictions should maximize the number of individuals benefiting from the first dose by extending the second dose of COVID-19 vaccine up to 16 weeks after the first.”

Exemptions to the extended dose interval are based on recommendations from the Vaccine Clinical Advisory Group: Recommendations on Exemptions to Extended Dose Intervals for COVID-19 Vaccines. Based on these recommendations, the Province has directed that all second doses for the following individuals will be delivered at intervals described on the product monograph:

• Resident of Long-Term Care, Retirement Homes, and First Nations Elder Care Homes
• Indigenous people living on reserve
• Transplant recipients (including solid organ transplants, and hematopoietic stem cell transplants)
• Individuals with malignant hematological disorders and non-hematologic malignant solid tumors receiving active treatment (chemotherapy, targeted therapies, immunotherapy), excluding individuals receiving solely hormonal therapy or radiation therapy.

All other individuals will receive their second dose at the extended interval of 16 weeks. This guidance may change based on provincial direction.

12. I’d like to volunteer to help with COVID-19 vaccination clinics. How do I sign up?