About the COVID-19 vaccines

Consult your health care provider before getting vaccinated if you have:

• A known allergy to a component of the vaccine.
• A compromised immune system or an autoimmune condition.
• Experienced a serious allergic reaction (including anaphylaxis) to another vaccine, drug, or food.
• A history of myocarditis or pericarditis.
• A bleeding disorder.

If you're allergic to any component of the vaccine or if you've had a severe allergic reaction to a previous dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, talk to your health care provider. You will need to be referred to an allergist, who will provide you with a letter indicating that you have discussed the risks and benefits of getting vaccinated, and that vaccination is recommended. You must show a copy of this letter before getting vaccinated.

If you have previously been diagnosed with myocarditis, talk to your health care provider about receiving the COVID-19 vaccine. You will need to get a letter from your health care provider indicating that you have discussed the risks and benefits of getting vaccinated, and that vaccination is recommended. You must show a copy of this letter before getting vaccinated.

Vaccination after having COVID-19

If you've already had COVID 19, you should still be vaccinated for protection from reinfection or severe outcomes. While infection alone provides some protection, vaccination combined with infection helps further improve the immune response. You will need to still wait the recommended interval between doses.

Find out when you can get your vaccine after having COVID-19.

COVID-19 vaccination includes primary series (first and second doses) and booster doses. The Ontario government provides details regarding vaccine doses including recommended time between doses. Learn about vaccine doses.

When you should get a booster dose

If you've completed your primary series and it's been at least 6 months since your last dose or COVID-19 infection you're eligible for a booster dose. Boosters help keep you protected from severe illness. The Ontario government provides more information about when you should get your booster doses, information for individuals at high risk for severe COVID-19 illness, and who’s considered immunocompromised. Learn when you should get a booster dose.

Bivalent booster

You will be offered a bivalent booster if you’re eligible. It's recommended that you receive a booster 6 months.

The Ontario government provides details about types of approved vaccines being administered, including the bivalent vaccines. Learn about vaccine types.

Health Canada provides details about vaccine safety, common side effects, vaccine ingredients, and allergic reactions. Refer to vaccine safety and side effects.

If you received a COVID-19 vaccine outside of Ontario, the record of your vaccine will not be automatically entered into the Peel Public Health or Ontario Ministry of Health systems.

Submitting a record of an out-of-province vaccination to Peel Public Health is not mandatory, however, if you are eligible for an additional dose of vaccine and would like to receive it, any out-of-province doses must be recorded in the Ontario Ministry of Health system.

You must also report your out-of-province vaccines to get an Ontario vaccine certificate.

For your vaccine to be recorded in the Ontario Ministry of Health system, you must provide a record of vaccination to Peel Public Health. We’ll review your record and enter it into the Ontario Ministry of Health COVID-19 Vaccine system, on your behalf. Peel Public Health will only accept out-of-province information from those who reside in Peel. Individuals who do not live in Peel must refer to the public health unit where they live.

Reporting out-of-province vaccinations

If you received a vaccine approved by Health Canada or a non-Health Canada approved vaccine listed on the World Health Organization’s COVID-19 vaccine emergency use listing:

Submit your record of vaccination through our online reporting tool.

When submitting your record of vaccination, you’ll need to provide a phone number and email address so we can reach you about your record. If you do not have your record of vaccination, contact the health care provider who gave you the vaccine and ask for a copy. After you submit your record of vaccination, you will receive a confirmation email. You will receive email notification when we’ve completed our review and submitted your record to the Ministry of Health.

• If you’re submitting your first dose, once your record of vaccination is in Ontario’s Ministry of Health system, you can book your appointment for your second dose.
• If you’re submitting your second dose or both your first and second dose, once your record of vaccination is in Ontario’s Ministry of Health system, no further action is necessary, unless you are eligible for a third or booster dose.
• After you submit your dose information, you may receive instructions about receiving an additional dose of vaccine depending on when you received your second dose. If your second dose is shorter than 19 days for Comirnaty (Pfizer) and 21 days for Spikevax (Moderna), you should also receive 1 additional dose of an mRNA vaccine, 8 weeks after your second dose to be considered fully vaccinated.

Bivalent booster

Bivalent boosters are updated versions of the original COVID-19 vaccines. Individuals are not eligible to receive bivalent boosters unless the primary series of vaccination is received and verified.

Individuals must have a confirmation email identifying that their out of province doses have been recorded on file, before visiting the clinic to receive bivalent boosters. This confirmation email is sent after the out of province submission is received, verified and documented. Processing time following submission to the out of province portal, can be up to 7 business days, provided all the required documentation has been submitted as per Ontario government guidance.

To avoid multiple clinic visits and long clinic wait times, it’s advised to:

• Visit the vaccine clinics with a confirmation email identifying out of province doses have been recorded.

OR

• Visit the clinic after the processing time of 7 business days, following submission to out of province portal, if required.

If you received a vaccine neither approved by Health Canada nor on the World Health Organization COVID-19 Vaccine Emergency Use Listing:

Submit your record of vaccination through our online reporting tool.

If you received 1 or 2 doses of a COVID-19 vaccine not approved by Health Canada or the World Health Organization's emergency use listing, you may receive 1 additional dose at least 28 days after your last dose to complete the vaccine series.

If you have questions about your specific situation, call Peel Public Health at 905-799-7700. (Caledon 905-584-2216.) Our call centre is open Monday to Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Submit your vaccine receipt

Use our online tool to submit your out of province vaccine receipt.

Report your vaccine

If your vaccine receipt is not in English

When submitting an out of province vaccine receipt that’s in a language other than English, you must also provide a typed English translated document. The document doesn’t have to be professionally translated. Anyone can prepare it for you. It must include:

• Name
• Date of birth
• Vaccination date
• Vaccine name
• Country or province where vaccine was given
• Number of doses received

If you’ve already submitted your vaccine receipt without an English translation, you’ll receive an email from Peel Public Health. You will need to resubmit your vaccine receipt using the online reporting tool, and include both the original vaccine receipt and the translated document.

If you have questions about your specific situation, call Peel Public Health at 905-799-7700. (Caledon 905-584-2216.) Monday to Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Peel Region is working with the Ontario government to process COVID-19 vaccine medical exemptions. Your doctor or nurse practitioner will need to submit this request for medical exemption on your behalf. If you believe you qualify for a medical exemption, contact your doctor or nurse practitioner directly.

The medical exemption form must be fully completed for it to be accepted. Forms with incomplete information will be returned to the submitting provider. Providers are also asked to verify that the correct form is attached before submission. Medical exemptions that are based on Adverse Events Following Immunization (AEFI) from previous COVID-19 vaccine doses should be validated against AEFI reports and records of doses received.

Specific details regarding status of your submission will be communicated to your health care practitioner. After the request has been received, processing time may be 2 to 4 weeks depending on volumes.