Vaccines for COVID-19: How to get vaccinated
COVID-19 vaccination reduces the risk of severe illness and death from COVID-19. It's important to get your first vaccine doses (primary series) and booster doses when recommended.
If you haven’t yet received a booster dose but were recommended to do so this past fall, you can still get one now. People at high risk of severe COVID-19 outcomes may also be eligible for an additional booster dose in the spring of 2023.
COVID-19 vaccines approved for use in Canada are widely available and free of charge. Contact your local public health authority for more information on recommended COVID-19 vaccine doses and to book an appointment.
On this page
- Book a vaccination appointment
- Bivalent vaccines
- Benefits of vaccination
- Primary series
- Book a booster appointment
- Booster doses
- Vaccination after having COVID-19
- Timing of vaccination
- When to consult with your doctor
Book a vaccination appointment
Find out if you need another COVID-19 vaccine dose. Book an appointment through your province or territory:
- Alberta
- British Columbia
- Manitoba
- New Brunswick
- Newfoundland and Labrador
- Northwest Territories
- Nova Scotia
- Nunavut
- Ontario
- Prince Edward Island
- Quebec
- Saskatchewan
- Yukon
Bivalent vaccines
The virus that causes COVID-19 has evolved over time and some of these changes have created new variants of concern.
Manufacturers have updated their vaccines to help provide better protection against variants, particularly the currently circulating Omicron variant. The updated vaccines are called "bivalent" because they target 2 strains of the COVID-19 virus: the original strain and an Omicron strain.
Bivalent COVID-19 vaccines are only approved for use as a booster dose for people 5 years of age and over. They’re the preferred vaccine for all individuals recommended to receive a booster dose.
Learn more about:
- Bivalent COVID-19 mRNA vaccines COVID-19 booster dose
- COVID-19 booster dose: Contact your province or territory
Benefits of vaccination
Vaccination is one of the most effective ways to protect against severe outcomes from COVID-19. All approved COVID-19 vaccines used in Canada are effective at helping to protect against severe illness, hospitalization and death from COVID-19.
Getting vaccinated may also reduce your risk of becoming infected and possibly developing post-COVID-19 condition. If you do become infected, being vaccinated also reduces the likelihood of developing symptoms of post COVID-19 condition compared to people who are unvaccinated. Post COVID-19 condition, also known as long COVID, is when people still experience symptoms of COVID-19 for weeks or months after their initial infection.
Learn more about:
Primary series
Most COVID-19 vaccinations begin with 2 doses. These initial doses are called a primary series.
Receiving a complete primary series is very important for better, longer-lasting protection.
Additional primary series dose for people who are immunocompromised
If you're immunocompromised due to disease or treatment, you may have a lower immune response to COVID-19 vaccination. As such, a primary series of 3 doses given 4 to 8 weeks apart is recommended.
People moderately to severely immunocompromised are encouraged to speak with a health care provider to learn more about vaccination and other ways to protect themselves against COVID-19.
Book a booster appointment
Contact your province or territory for a booster:
- Alberta
- British Columbia
- Manitoba
- New Brunswick
- Newfoundland and Labrador
- Northwest Territories
- Nova Scotia
- Nunavut
- Ontario
- Prince Edward Island
- Quebec
- Saskatchewan
- Yukon
Booster doses
Doses of the COVID-19 vaccines received after the primary series are called booster doses. Booster doses increase protection from a primary series that may have decreased over time.
They improve protection against severe outcomes. They may also help to reduce the risk of becoming infected and therefore reduce the risk of post COVID-19 condition.
Bivalent COVID-19 vaccines are recommended for the booster dose. They’re approved for people 5 years of age or older.
Learn more about:
- COVID-19: Definition of primary series
- Post COVID-19 condition (long COVID)
- Proof of vaccination and boosters
Vaccination after previous infection
It's safe to receive a COVID-19 vaccine following infection. Vaccination is very important, even if you've had COVID-19. While infection alone provides some protection, vaccination after infection:
- helps improve the immune response
- provides better and longer-lasting protection
Evidence indicates that waiting a period of time after a COVID-19 infection before getting a booster dose can help improve the immune response.
It's recommended that you receive your booster dose 6 or more months after you had a COVID-19 infection.
Timing of vaccination
If you haven’t yet received a booster dose but were recommended to do so this past fall, you can still get one now. In addition, people at high risk of severe COVID-19 outcomes may be eligible for an additional booster dose in the spring of 2023. This should be at least 6 months after their previous dose or infection.
Provinces and territories design and deliver their own vaccination programs. When making decisions about their programs, they consider the needs and circumstances, including COVID-19 activity in their region. As a result, vaccination recommendations, including timing of vaccination, and which vaccines are being offered may differ by region.
Contact the public health authority of your province or territory for more information about COVID-19 vaccine recommendations in your area and to book an appointment.
COVID-19 booster dose: Contact your province or territory
Learn more about:
When to consult with a health care provider
If you have questions about getting your vaccine, consult with a health care provider, including if you:
- have questions or concerns about COVID-19 vaccination
- are unsure if or when you should receive a COVID-19 vaccine
- are experiencing any symptoms of COVID-19
Learn more:
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