COVID-19 Vaccines

Vaccine Types

Only vaccines that Health Canada has approved and determined to be safe and effective will be administered in Ontario.

All vaccine options:

• are safe and available in Ontario
• can be safely mixed for individuals aged five and older
• provide strong protection against severe illness from COVID‑19 and its variants

Vaccines authorized include:

• mRNA vaccines:
  • Pfizer – authorized for individuals aged six months and older
    • primary series (original vaccine): recommended for individuals aged 5 to 29 years to reduce possible risk of myocarditis/pericarditis
    • booster doses (bivalent vaccine): authorized for individuals aged 5 years and older
  • Moderna – authorized for individuals aged 6 months and older
    • primary series (original vaccine): recommended for immunocompromised individuals aged 6 months to 4 years because it requires fewer dose to complete the primary series
    • booster doses (bivalent vaccine): authorized for individuals aged 18 years and older
• protein-based vaccines:
  • Novavax – authorized for individuals aged 18 years and older and available upon request, or if you have an allergy or contraindication to mRNA vaccines (Pfizer or Moderna), with requests made through your public health unit, health care provider or  participating pharmacy
• virus-like particle vaccines:
  • Medicago – authorized for individuals aged 18 to 64 years (not available for administration in Ontario)
• viral vector-based vaccines:
  • AstraZeneca – authorized for individuals aged 18 years and older (no longer available in Ontario)
  • Janssen (Johnson & Johnson) – authorized for individuals aged 18 years and older and available if you have an allergy or contraindication to all other vaccines (Pfizer, Moderna and Novavax), with requests made through your public health unit, health care provider or local participating pharmacy; only one dose is required, with a booster shot recommended after three months

Bivalent vaccines are vaccines that target two different viruses or two strains of the same virus. The bivalent COVID-19 vaccine:

• is an updated version of the COVID-19 vaccine that targets the original COVID-19 virus and the Omicron variant, which is currently the dominant variant in circulation in Ontario
• is formulated to better protect against the currently circulating COVID-19 variants
• can help restore protection that has decreased since your previous vaccination

is now being administered as booster doses to eligible individuals – you must have completed your primary series to receive it

Learn more about the vaccines from Health Canada.

Stay Up to Date with COVID-19 Vaccines Including Boosters | CDC

Pregnant individuals are able to receive a COVID-19 vaccine at any point in their pregnancy. Many people who are pregnant have gotten very sick from COVID-19 requiring hospitalization and critical care. Getting vaccinated is safe and an important way to be protected in pregnancy.

Contact our office to speak to your your doctor or if you have questions about getting vaccinated and to understand benefits of getting the vaccine compared to the risks of getting the COVID-19 infection. For many people, getting a COVID-19 vaccine is the safest choice.

The Society of Obstetricians & Gynecologists of Canada  also recommends pregnant people get vaccinated in pregnancy. Many pregnant people who get COVID-19 can have mild symptoms. However, especially with the new variants spreading in Ontario, some can get very sick and develop respiratory complications that need care in the hospital. Giving birth too early in pregnancy (preterm birth) may be more common.

Vaccines can protect against these variants and lower the risk of severe illness while pregnant. All COVID-19 vaccines are safe in pregnancy and are being used around the world.

If you are planning on becoming pregnant, it is recommended to get both doses of the vaccine ahead of pregnancy (where possible) when it’s available to you. There is no evidence that fertility problems are a side effect of any vaccine.

If you are pregnant or become pregnant soon after getting the first dose of the vaccine you will have to decide if you should get the second dose. The decision should be made by looking at the risks of not being completely vaccinated during pregnancy.

While COVID-19 vaccine clinical trials did not include people who were pregnant or breastfeeding, many people who are pregnant and have been vaccinated are being followed to ensure the vaccine continues to be safe.

Pregnant and breastfeeding patients were excluded from the initial clinical trials; however recently Pfizer-NBiotech and Moderna have started clinical trials for pregnant patients.

A consensus statement by the Society of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists of Canada:

“Women who are pregnant or breastfeeding should be offered vaccination at anytime if
they are eligible and no contraindications exist.”

Vaccines for Children

COVID-19 vaccine dosage is based on age on the day of vaccination, not on size or weight. Children get a smaller dose of COVID-19 vaccine than teens and adults.

Children aged six months and older can receive a COVID-19 vaccine at the same time as, or at any time before or after any other vaccines, including the flu shot. Parents and caregivers should discuss vaccination with their health care provider to determine the best timing for COVID‑19 vaccination.

Vaccine types

Only vaccines that Health Canada has approved and determined to be safe and effective will be administered in Ontario.

All vaccine options:

• are safe and available in Ontario
• can be safely mixed for individuals aged five and older
• provide strong protection against severe illness from COVID‑19 and its variants

Vaccines authorized for children include:

• mRNA vaccines:
  • Pfizer – authorized for individuals aged six months and older
    • primary series (original vaccine): recommended for individuals aged 5 to 29 years to reduce possible risk of myocarditis/pericarditis
    • booster doses (bivalent vaccine): authorized for individuals aged 5 years and older
  • Moderna – authorized for individuals aged 6 months and older
    • primary series (original vaccine): recommended for immunocompromised individuals aged 6 months to 4 years because it requires fewer dose to complete the primary series
    • booster doses (bivalent vaccine): authorized for individuals aged 18 years and older only

Sources:

COVID‑19 vaccines | ontario.ca

Stay Up to Date with COVID-19 Vaccines Including Boosters | CDC