Individuals 5 years-of-age and older who have not yet received a booster dose since September 1, 2022, remain recommended to receive a booster dose if it has been at least six-months since their last dose or confirmed COVID-19 infection.

If a booster dose has been received on or after September 1, 2022 (either monovalent or bivalent), there is no current evidence that substantiates the need for an additional dose, beyond the high-risk groups mentioned below.

Individuals in specific high-risk populations are recommended to receive a spring booster dose if at least six-months (168 days) has passed since their last dose or confirmed COVID-19 infection.

The following groups are recommended to receive a booster dose this spring:

• Those 65 years-of-age and older
• Residents of long-term care homes, retirement homes, elder care lodges, and other congregate living settings for seniors
• Individuals 18 years-of-age and older living in congregate care settings for people with complex medical care needs
• Pregnant individuals
• Individuals 18 years-of-age and older who are moderately to severely immunocompromised
• Individuals 55 years-of-age and older who identify as First Nations, Inuit, or Métis and their non-Indigenous household members aged 55 years-of-age and older. 

You can check to see when you're recommended to receive a booster dose using the Province's online tool. 

Before you can get a booster, you must be aged 5 or older and have completed your primary series of vaccine doses. A primary series consists of:

• 2 doses of a Health Canada approved/World Health Organization Vaccine Emergency List vaccine, or
• 3 doses of a Health Canada approved/World Health Organization Vaccine Emergency List vaccine if you are immunocompromised.

• Pregnant individuals – All pregnant individuals in the authorized age group are eligible and recommended to be vaccinated as soon as possible, at any stage in pregnancy, as COVID-19 infection during pregnancy can be severe, and the benefits of vaccination outweigh the risks. These individuals are encouraged to review any concerns with their treating health care provider and/or utilize the Vaccination in Pregnancy & Breastfeeding decision making tool on the MOH website Ministry of Health website.
• Breastfeeding individuals – COVID-19 vaccines can be safely given to breastfeeding individuals and recent data shows that mRNA from vaccines do not transfer into breast milk. Anti-COVID-19 antibodies produced by the breastfeeding person have been shown to transfer through the milk and provide protection to the infant.
  
• Autoimmune condition/immunocompromised due to disease or treatment that are receiving stem cell therapy, CAR-T therapy, chemo, immune checkpoint inhibitors, monoclonal antibodies, and other targeted agents are strongly encourage you to consult with your treating provider regarding timing of vaccination in relation to therapy and/or treatment modification to ensure the impact of the immunosuppressive therapy on vaccine effectiveness is as minimal as possible.
• All other individuals with autoimmune/immunocompromised due to disease and immunocompromised due to treatment – may choose to consult with their treating provider but not required prior to vaccination.
• Severe allergic reaction or anaphylaxis to a previous dose of a COVID-19 vaccine or to any of its components should not receive the COVID-19 vaccine in a general vaccine clinic. An urgent referral to an allergist/immunologist is recommended to assess the method for possible (re)administration of a COVID-19 vaccine.
  
• Immediate allergic reaction to a previous dose of a COVID-19 vaccine or to any of its components –requires evaluation by an allergist/immunologist and documentation of allergist to determine if the vaccine can be safely administered. Documentation of the discussion with the allergist/immunologist must be provided to the clinic and include a vaccination care plan (including what types of parameters the clinic should meet to provide safe vaccination administration, e.g., availability of advanced medical care), details/severity of the previous allergic episode(s), confirm that appropriate counselling on the safe administration of vaccine was provided, and include the date, the clinician’s name, signature and contact information as well as the individual’s name and date of birth.
  
• Severe/immediate allergic reaction to other vaccines or injectable therapies – does not require consultation with an allergist prior to vaccination but client will be asked to wait 30 minutes post vaccination for observation.
• Significant or anaphylactic allergic reactions to other allergens does not require consultation with an allergist prior to vaccination. Client will be asked to wait the typical 15-minute observation time.