Vaccination opportunities: July 2023

Issued: Wednesday, July 5, 2023

COVID-19 vaccination

Public Health Sudbury & Districts will continue to offer appointments for COVID-19 vaccinations at its office locations this summer, but the frequency of the clinics will be reduced, and walk-ins will not be accepted. Individuals can also find other COVID-19 vaccination opportunities, for example, through pharmacies or their primary care providers.

If there are changes to the eligibility criteria for a COVID-19 vaccine or the availability of vaccine products over summer months, Public Health will share them on our website and our social media profiles.

Individuals who meet the Ministry of Health’s criteria for at-risk populations and who have not received a COVID-19 vaccine or have been infected with COVID-19 in the last 168-days remain eligible for a booster dose. All other individuals who have received a COVID-19 vaccine on or after September 1, 2022, are considered up to date. Read the Ministry of Health’s guidance to learn more (https://news.ontario.ca/en/release/1002908/covid-19-booster-recommended-for-high-risk-individuals-this-spring).

Public Health’s complete clinic details for July are available at phsd.ca/COVID-19/vaccine-clinics, or visit covid-19.ontario.ca/vaccine-locations for pharmacy locations that also offer COVID-19 vaccine.

Public Health recommends that you receive all COVID-19 vaccines for which you are eligible—including booster doses—to build long-term protection against COVID-19.

Vaccination opportunities for the month of July 2023

Public Health may occasionally need to cancel clinics due to unforeseen circumstances, including inclement weather events that impact clinic operations. In the event a clinic is cancelled, all clients with a booked appointment will be offered an alternate opportunity. Where feasible, some cancelled clinics will be rescheduled. For regular updates, follow us on social media @PublicHealthSD (Facebook, Twitter). Visit us online for up-to-date clinic details, including the clinic times and locations, vaccine type or routine immunization that is planned at phsd.ca/COVID-19/vaccine-clinics.

Wednesday, July 5

Appointment-only clinics

Public Health Sudbury & Districts, main office, Sudbury
- Primary series and booster doses for those 5 and older.

Tuesday, July 11

Appointment-only clinics

Public Health Sudbury & Districts, Manitoulin Island office, Mindemoya
- Primary series for those 6 months to under 5.
- Primary series and booster doses for those 5 and older.

Wednesday, July 12

Appointment-only clinics

Public Health Sudbury & Districts, Chapleau office, Chapleau
- Primary series for those 6 months to under 5.
- Primary series and booster doses for those 5 and older.

Thursday, July 13

Appointment-only clinics

Public Health Sudbury & Districts, Espanola office, Espanola
- Primary series for those 6 months to under 5.
- Primary series and booster doses for those 5 and older

Friday, July 14

Appointment-only clinics

Public Health Sudbury & Districts, main office, Sudbury
- Primary series for those 6 months to under 5.
- Primary series and booster doses for those 5 and older.

Wednesday, July 19

Appointment-only clinics

CANCELLED—~~Public Health Sudbury & Districts, main office, Sudbury~~
- ~~Primary series and booster doses for those 5 and older.~~

Tuesday, July 25

Appointment-only clinics

Public Health Sudbury & Districts, Sudbury East office, St. Charles
- Primary series for those 6 months to under 5.
- Primary series and booster doses for those 5 and older.

Wednesday, July 26

Appointment-only clinics

Public Health Sudbury & Districts, main office, Sudbury
- Primary series for those 6 months to under 5.
- Primary series and booster doses for those 5 and older.

Book a COVID-19 vaccine appointment

To book online, visit covid-19.ontario.ca/book-vaccine or call 705.522.9200 (toll-free 1.866.522.9200), between 8:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m., Monday to Friday. For a list of scheduled clinics, visit phsd.ca/COVID-19/vaccine-clinics.

Clinic services

Sensory-friendly service (COVID-19)

Sensory-friendly services may be available, as needed.

Vaccine-to-vehicle service (COVID-19)

Vaccine-to-vehicle is a service available at select clinics for individuals who are unable to receive their vaccine within a clinic setting for reasons such as sensory sensitivities, decreased mobility, or other health concerns. An immunizer will come outside to the parking lot to provide the vaccine to individuals in their vehicle. Please note that during extreme weather or extreme cold that your appointment may be rebooked to ensure everyone’s safety.

Appointments for sensory-friendly or vaccine-to-vehicle services can only be booked by phone at 705.522.9200 (toll-free 1.866.522.9200). The call centre is open Monday to Friday between 8:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. and is closed on statutory holidays. Booking online is not available.

Questions about vaccination

Learn about Health Canada approved COVID-19 vaccines (https://www.canada.ca/en/health-canada/services/drugs-health-products/covid19-industry/drugs-vaccines-treatments/vaccines.html).

COVID-19 mRNA vaccines

All Public Health clinics offer mRNA vaccine brands—either Moderna Spikevax or Pfizer-BioNTech Comirnaty, for booster doses to eligible individuals. Pfizer-BioNTech (monovalent) will be the only mRNA vaccine available for individuals requiring a primary series dose. This monovalent vaccine is used for the primary series for all individuals 6 months and older. The bivalent mRNA vaccines include two strains of the COVID-19 virus: the original COVID-19 strain and the Omicron variant strain. The bivalent mRNA vaccines are expected to provide improved protection against the circulating Omicron variants compared to the original mRNA vaccines. The bivalent vaccines are used for booster doses to eligible individuals aged 5 years and older. Public Health offers both the Moderna Spikevax and the Pfizer-BioNTech Comirnaty bivalent vaccines at all clinics. We encourage you to ask our immunizers for more information to help you make an informed decision and feel comfortable about getting your vaccine.

Eligibility

COVID-19 vaccines

In Ontario, for those 6 months to 4 years of age, staying up-to-date means you have completed the initial dose(s) of a COVID-19 vaccine. For those 5 years of age and older, it means completion of a primary series and receipt of a booster (monovalent or bivalent) on or after September 1, 2022. For specific high-risk populations, staying up-to-date means completion of the primary series and receipt of a booster dose within the last 6 months.

A bivalent booster dose is strongly recommended for select high-risk groups at an interval of 6 months (168 days) from their last dose or confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection. Visit covid-19-vaccine-eligibility for information on when you should be vaccinated based on the type of vaccine you should receive, your age, your health status, and if you recently had a COVID-19 infection.

We are awaiting guidance from the Ministry of Health on a COVID-19 booster campaign for this fall. We will share these updates as information becomes available.

Preparing for a vaccination appointment

All vaccination clinics have COVID-safety measures in place. You must not attend a clinic if you have any symptoms of COVID-19 or if you are in isolation due to a COVID-19 exposure.

Bring your health card. If you do not have a health card or your health card is expired, bring another form of government-issued photo identification such as a driver’s license, passport, Status card, or birth certificate.
Eat and drink something before you arrive at your appointment to prevent feeling faint or dizzy while being vaccinated.
Do not show up until 5 minutes before your scheduled appointment.
When possible, please limit the number of support people attending a vaccination clinic to one person.
Wear a top that allows for easy access to the upper arm such as a loose-fitting top or a T-shirt.
Wear a medical mask that covers your nose, mouth, and chin. If you do not have a medical mask, pediatric and adult medical masks will be available at the entrance to the clinic.

For more information or if you have questions, please talk to trusted sources such as Public Health immunizers, health care providers, and pharmacists, visit phsd.ca/COVID-19, or call Public Health Sudbury & Districts at 705.522.9200 (toll-free 1.866.522.9200).