COVID-19 Vaccination and Clinic Schedule
All walk-ins are welcome - any age, any dose. If a fall booster was recommended for you and you haven't got it yet, drop in and get a bivalent booster.
Everyone six months of age and older are recommended to stay up-to-date with their COVID-19 vaccinations.
Booster doses of COVID-19 vaccine are an effective tool to reduce the risk of severe illness and death. See Niagara statistics on how many times more likely a person is hospitalized compared to a person with a booster dose.
COVID-19 vaccines may be given at the same time as, or any time before or after other vaccines, for all age groups. There is no time interval to wait.
Learn when to get your next booster and about the long-term safety of mRNA vaccines.
Clinic schedule
All walk-ins are welcome - any age, any dose. Clinics are open 9:30 a.m. - 3:45 p.m. unless noted.
Date | Location |
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March 29 - 30 | St. Catharines Pen Centre By Stars Menswear, Tim Hortons and Booster Juice |
March 31 - April 1 | Niagara Falls Canada One Outlet Mall Beside Couture Parfums |
Walk-in or book an appointment
Walk-ins and appointments are available for all ages and doses.
To book an appointment at one of our clinics, visit the Provincial COVID-19 vaccination portal or call the Provincial Vaccine Contact Centre at 1-833-943-3900. If you're trying to book your next dose at a shorter interval than six months, you will need to call.
Keep checking the booking site as new appointments continue to be added.
If you have questions about getting vaccinated, drop by to chat. Public health nurses are available onsite to give you the information you need.
Where to get vaccinated
- At one of our clinics
- Participating pharmacies
- Participating family doctor's offices
- Participating medical walk-in clinics
- GO-VAXX buses (for individuals five years of age and older).
When to get your next booster dose
If you've already received a booster dose (monovalent or bivalent) since Sept. 1, 2022, you are considered up-to-date. Additional booster doses are not recommended at this time. Recommendations are subject to change as the COVID-19 pandemic evolves.
If you haven't received a bivalent booster dose since Sept. 1, 2022, it's recommended you get it now.
- Individuals five years of age and older are recommended to get their booster dose six months after their last dose of COVID-19 vaccine or COVID-19 infection
- For children five to 11 years of age, only one booster dose is currently recommended after the primary series, regardless of when it was received
About our clinics
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Stay home if you're sick
If you answer "yes" to any of these, postpone your COVID-19 vaccination:
- In the past 24 hours, have you experienced any COVID-19 symptoms, not due to previously known chronic conditions diagnosed by a Health Care Professional?
- In the past five days has anyone who lives in your household had symptoms of COVID-19 or has tested positive for COVID-19? In this scenario, you can still come to your appointment if you don’t currently have any symptoms AND you have either:
- Been positive for COVID-19 in the past 90 days and have completed your isolation period
- Tested negative on a rapid antigen on the same day as your appointment
If you had a booked appointment, you can reschedule your appointment online or by calling 1-833-943-3900.
Learn more about COVID-19 self-isolation, symptoms and testing.
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What you need to know about our clinics and children six months to 17 years of age
Public Health offers child-friendly vaccination clinics to create a positive experience for children coming to get vaccinated.
Although privacy or space to lie down may not be an option at all Public Health clinics, clinic staff will do their best to help put your child at ease. Learn more about preparing your child for their vaccination using the CARD system.
SickKids COVID-19 Vaccine Consult Service is a by-appointment phone service that provides a safe, judgement-free space to have an open conversation about the COVID-19 vaccine. They offer expert guidance for children, youth and those who are pregnant, breastfeeding or planning to conceive.
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In-home vaccination
If you're looking for an in-home vaccination, call the 905-688-8248 ext. 7425 to be assessed for eligibility.
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Getting ready for your vaccination
Before going for your vaccine
- Take any regular medication
- Eat before coming to the vaccination clinic to prevent feeling faint or dizzy while being vaccinated
- Wear a loose-fitting top or a t-shirt
- Dress for the weather, as you may need to wait outside
What to bring
- If you have a booked appointment, bring the booking appointment confirmation number you received when you made your appointment
- Your green health card. You can still get vaccinated if you don't have a health card. Bring another government-issued photo identification with you.
- A mask
- An object or a distraction tool if you would like to get your mind off the needle. For example, a mobile device, fidget spinner or book.
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If you don't have a health card
Those without a health card can get vaccinated at all Public Health COVID-19 vaccination clinics.
Call your participating pharmacy if you're uncertain about what you need to bring to your appointment. The pharmacist will likely ask you for some type of identification and your birth date.
About COVID-19 vaccination
There is no COVID-19 virus in the vaccine. The vaccines teach your immune system how to recognize and fight the virus that causes COVID-19.
Some people may develop mild side effects such as fever. These symptoms typically mean the vaccine is working to produce protection. It usually takes the body a few weeks to build immunity after receiving a vaccine.
You can become infected with the virus before or right after getting the vaccine. This happens because the vaccine has not had enough time to provide protection in your body.
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COVID-19 vaccine products
mRNA (Moderna, Pfizer)
Every effort should be made to get vaccinated with a mRNA vaccine. COVID-19 mRNA vaccines are safe and effective and are widely available across Niagara.
Novavax
Individuals 12 years of age and older who are interested in accessing a dose of Novavax should call 905-688-8248 ext. 7425 to be added to a wait list, after first being assessed for eligibility.
Janssen
Janssen may be offered to individuals who are 18 years and older, only when all other authorized COVID-19 vaccines are contraindicated. To be assessed for eligibility, call 905-688-8248 ext. 7425.
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What you need to know about COVID-19 vaccination and children six months to 17 years of age
Children who have an underlying medical condition are at higher risk of severe outcomes from COVID-19, but severe disease and multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C) can occur in any child, even those without an underlying condition.
Both myocarditis and pericarditis are more common after COVID-19 illness (a viral infection) than after vaccination.
More information
- What are the reasons to vaccinate my young child against COVID-19? (six months to five years old)
- Safety of COVID-19 vaccine in five to 11 year olds - Public Health Ontario
- COVID-19 and fertility
- Questions parents can ask to make sense of COVID-19 information
If you're unsure and would like more information, speak to a health care provider who will listen to your concerns and answer your questions. You health care provider, a registered nurse from the SickKids COVID-19 Vaccine Consult Service, or a public health nurse at one of our vaccination clinics.
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People who are pregnant or breastfeeding
The National Advisory Committee on Immunization continues to strongly recommend that individuals who are pregnant or breastfeeding get vaccinated and stay up to date. COVID-19 vaccinations can be given offered at any stage of pregnancy (in any trimester).
Getting vaccinated is your choice. We want you to feel confident in your decision. It's really important to make sure you understand as much as you can about COVID-19 and the vaccine so you can make an informed choice. Learn more about COVID-19 vaccines in pregnancy and COVID-19 and fertility.
The SickKids COVID-19 Vaccine Consult Service is available to support people who are pregnant, breastfeeding or planning to conceive.
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People who received vaccines not authorized by Health Canada
Primary series (not including individuals six months to four years of age)
People who received only one or two doses of a non-Health Canada authorized COVID-19 vaccine may receive one additional dose in Ontario 28 to 56 days after the previous dose to complete the primary series.
People who received one Health Canada authorized vaccine and one non-Health Canada authorized vaccine (in either order) need no additional doses to complete the primary series.
People who received three doses (any combination of Health Canada authorized, and non-Health Canada authorized) need no additional doses to complete the primary series.
Immune status
Acceptable vaccine combinations for complete primary series when immunocompromised individuals have received non-Health Canada approved vaccine:
- Three doses of a COVID-19 vaccine (Health Canada authorized vaccine or non-Health Canada authorized vaccine)
- One dose of a non-Health Canada authorized COVID-19 vaccine and two doses of Health Canada authorized vaccine
Two doses of a non-Health Canada authorized COVID-19 vaccine and one dose of a Health Canada authorized vaccine
Additional doses / boosters
Following any additional doses needed to complete the primary series, these individuals should follow the recommendations under 'When to get your next dose'.
More information
If you don't have a vaccine certificate (record of vaccination):
- If you received a previous dose(s) of a COVID-19 vaccine but don't have a vaccine certificate (record of vaccination), see if you can obtain one
- If the COVID-19 vaccine product you received remains unknown, a new vaccine series may need to be started with a Health Canada authorized COVID-19 vaccine
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People who have had COVID-19
You should still get your vaccine even if you had a previous COVID-19 infection. Getting vaccinated can strengthen and provide longer lasting protection against COVID-19. Compared to previous variants, Omicron has a higher reinfection rate for people who had a previous COVID-19 infection.
A previous COVID-19 infection is defined as when an individual has
- Tested positive for COVID, either by rapid antigen or PCR test, or
- Had COVID-19 symptoms AND lived with a confirmed case
If you had a COVID-19 infection before you started or completed your primary series
Recommended to receive the vaccine eight weeks after your infection before the next dose in your primary series.If you had a COVID-19 infection after completing your primary series
Recommended to receive the vaccine at least six months (minimum three) after your infection. A six month interval may provide better immune response, regardless of the product given. -
Long-term safety of mRNA vaccines
From the science and history of vaccines, there is no evidence of long-term effects.
Vaccine side effects usually happen within a few days, and always within six weeks. Vaccines are quickly broken down and removed from your body, and so cannot cause side effects many months or years later. The only lasting impact of vaccination is the training it provides your immune system.
Vaccines introduce proteins from a dangerous germ to the body’s immune system. In this way, the body can learn to identify and fight those germs off. Within a couple of weeks, no traces of the vaccine are left in the body. This is because the immune system destroys the proteins. Any other elements of the germ are quickly broken down.
Like any medication or supplement (including vitamins), there's a chance that there will be a serious side effect. These are rare, but they do happen. When it does, it's usually in the short term when the vaccine is stimulating the immune system. Learn about how Canada makes sure vaccines are safe for you and your family.
It's far more likely that mRNA vaccines will be like other vaccines. Here's what you need to know about mRNA vaccines:
- mRNA vaccines are a new vaccine platform, but not a new technology. mRNA therapeutics have been studied for over two decades. Recent scientific advancements have improved mRNA stability and delivery. This has allowed mRNA vaccines and cancer mRNA therapeutics to be put into clinical use. Learn more about the decades of research that went into the development of mRNA vaccines.
- mRNA vaccines provide instructions to the body to produce a coronavirus protein. The body then recognizes the protein as foreign. These proteins use the body's normal processes to safely produce an immune response. As soon as it is finishing using the mRNA's instructions, the body breaks down and gets rid of the mRNA.
- Once the mRNA breaks down, the body doesn’t have the ability to produce more of this foreign mRNA. So there’s nothing left of the vaccine long-term. The only long-term impact of the vaccine is immune memory against COVID-19.
The safety of COVID-19 vaccines are closely monitored. Any safety issues are responded to right away and Canadians are informed about any risks that arise.
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About reinfection
According to the Public Health Agency of Canada:
- Recent evidence suggests that most of those infected with COVID-19 remain at risk of reinfection with similar and other viruses in the Omicron lineage
- People vaccinated with a complete primary series plus an additional dose of COVID-19 vaccines had an approximately four times lower hospitalization rate and a six times lower mortality rate, compared to unvaccinated people
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How to report COVID-19 vaccinations received outside of Ontario
If you have received a COVID-19 vaccination outside of Ontario, report your vaccination using the online form.
Make sure to still keep your original vaccination certificate (record of vaccination) in a safe place.