COVID-19 Vaccines
It is recommended that individuals with an increased risk of severe illness from COVID-19 receive an additional dose of a COVID-19 vaccine this spring.
Use this page to learn about COVID-19 vaccines, including who is eligible and how to get your shot.
Eligibility
To know when you are eligible to get your COVID-19 shot, see the following:
| Timing of immunization | Eligible population | Number of recommended doses |
|---|---|---|
| Fall (September 1 – March 31) | Everyone 6 months of age or older | 1 or more doses depending on completion of primary series |
| 1 or more doses, depending on completion of the primary series | Only for those that meet high risk criteria below | 1 dose |
High-risk criteria
If you meet the following criteria, you fall into the high-risk category for COVID-19 doses.
- Adults 65 years of age and older.
- NACI recommends that those 80 years and older should receive an additional dose of vaccine while those 65 to 79 years of age may receive an additional dose of vaccine.
- Adult residents of long-term care homes and other congregate living settings for seniors.
- Individuals 6 months of age and older who are moderately to severely immunocompromised (due to an underlying condition or treatment).
- Individuals 55 years and older who identify as First Nations, Inuit, or Metis and their non-Indigenous household members who are 55 years and older
Moderately to severely immunocompromised individuals include:
- Solid tumour or hematologic malignancies or treatments for these conditions.
- Solid-organ transplant and taking immunosuppressive therapy.
- Hematopoietic stem cell transplant (HSCT) (within 2 years of transplantation or taking immunosuppression therapy).
- Immunocompromised due to chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cell therapy targeting lymphocytes.
- Moderate to severe primary immunodeficiency with associated humoral and/or cell mediated immunodeficiency or immune dysregulation.
- HIV with AIDS-defining illness or TB diagnosis in last 12 months before starting vaccine series, or severe immune compromise with CD4
- Recent 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.
- Chronic kidney disease on dialysis.
Booking an appointment
To book an appointment, call your local pharmacy, health care provider, or NWHU office.
Resources and information
Learn more about the COVID-19 vaccine using these resources: