Vaccines and immunization
How, and when, to get vaccinated or immunized to protect against preventable diseases like measles, tetanus, whooping cough and chicken pox.
Routine vaccinations for babies, children and adults are offered free of charge.
Vaccine records management
We are changing how we manage vaccine records. Read about these changes and your privacy choices.
Get your flu shot and COVID‑19 vaccines
Flu shots
Protect yourself and others by learning about the virus, recognizing the symptoms and getting your flu shot.
COVID‑19 vaccines
Get vaccinated and stay up-to-date with your COVID‑19 vaccines.
About vaccines
Vaccines prevent serious illnesses — including many that are easily spread in schools and daycare centres. For more than 200 years, vaccines have been saving lives around the world.
Vaccines in Ontario’s routine immunization schedule are provided free of charge if you meet the eligibility criteria.
When to get vaccinated
Follow Ontario’s vaccination schedule for:
Vaccine resources for professionals
How to get vaccinated
- Talk to your doctor or your local public health unit about the vaccines you or your children need.
- Get the yellow immunization card from your doctor. Bring the card with you to each immunization appointment and keep it in a safe place so you know which vaccines you or your children have received.
- If your children are in school, report all vaccines your children receive to your local public health unit. If your children attend a licensed daycare centre, report all vaccines your children receive to the daycare centre.
Vaccine safety
In Canada, we have very strict controls for making vaccines. All vaccines are tested to make sure they are both safe and effective. The most common side effects are mild pain, swelling and redness where the injection was given.
Some infant vaccines may cause a low-grade fever (approximately 38°C) or irritability for a day or two after the injection. Doctors may recommend acetaminophen to prevent fever and pain.
Serious side effects are rare. Please report any side effects or severe reactions to your doctor or public health unit.
Why you should get vaccinated
When you get vaccinated, you make your body stronger and more resistant to disease. No matter how healthy you are, you could get very sick or even die without vaccines to protect you.
When you get vaccines, you protect everyone else around you, too. This includes our most vulnerable people, like very young children and people who are sick or aging.
Many people travel or move from one part of the world to another. If too many people delay or refuse vaccines, we will see more cases of serious diseases here in Ontario — even diseases that have been eliminated here for many years, like measles and polio.
Watch this video to learn more about vaccines.
Vaccines matter
Cate’s story
Descriptive transcript: Cate’s story
Tara’s story
Descriptive transcript: Tara’s story
Nancy’s story
Notice about your immunization information
Changes are being made to how immunization records are managed in Ontario's secure electronic provincial immunization system used by public health units (called Panorama). Your personal health information continues to be protected under Ontario's privacy laws.
What is changing
he Ministry of Health is now an additional health information custodian for immunization records in Panorama. COVID-19 vaccination records have also been migrated to Panorama. A new web tool has been developed, called Panorama Guided Workflow, to allow health care providers to view your immunization history in one place when providing care to you.
How this benefits you
Having immunization records in one place helps health-care providers access a more complete immunization history when providing care to you. This can support informed immunization decisions and help avoid missing or duplicate immunizations.
Your choice
You can choose not to allow any health-care provider to access your immunization history through Panorama Guided Workflow when they are providing care to you.
To do so, contact your local public health unit to withdraw your consent. Once your consent is withdrawn, all health-care providers will no longer be able to view your immunization history through Panorama Guided Workflow.
Choosing to withdraw your consent will not affect your ability to receive care or immunization services and it will not affect immunization requirements for school attendance under the Immunization of School Pupils Act.