Quick facts
- The first auto-shipment of influenza vaccines will be delivered by Critical Path courier, at no cost to your facility, starting . Influenza vaccines that are sent as part of the auto-shipment are automatically sent to your facility and do not need to be ordered.
- COVID-19 vaccines and RSV Products will not be auto-shipped to your facility and must be ordered through the Online Vaccine Order Form.
- Orders for RSV Products placed by:
- September 25 will be delivered with auto-shipment #1
- September 30 will be delivered with auto-shipment #2
- Public Health is still waiting for delivery of COVID-19 vaccines. Delivery timelines for COVID-19 vaccines will be shared once shipments are received.
- Orders for RSV Products placed by:
- Routine and high-risk vaccine orders will be delivered along with your auto-shipment, based on the usual bi-weekly distribution schedule. There will be no vaccine pick-ups on September 29 & 30 for north facilities or October 6 & 7 for south facilities.
- Vaccination of high priority groups for influenza and COVID-19 can begin as soon as vaccines are available.
- Vaccination of infants and high-risk children for RSV prevention can begin on October 1.
- Vaccination for the general population for influenza and COVID-19 can begin on October 26. Do not plan large-scale vaccination clinics before this date as vaccine may not be available.
- Learn more about the respiratory diseases you’ll be seeing in your practice this fall and winter and how to prevent them through effective immunization, including expanded RSV eligibility at the upcoming webinar from 7-8 p.m. on Thursday, October 8. Any interested Health Care Professional can register online (external link).
Influenza flu key information
- All influenza vaccines remain trivalent this season.
- Adults 65 years of age and older, should be offered TIV-HD or TIV-adj, when available. There is no preferential recommendation for the use of TIV-HD versus TIV-adj for this age group.
- If TIV-HD or TIV-adj is not available, any of the available age-appropriate vaccines should be used. The most important thing is for older adults to be vaccinated. Do not delay vaccination to wait for a particular product.
- Additional influenza vaccines can be ordered through the Online Vaccine Order Form starting October 13.
COVID-19 vaccine key information
- Effective September 18, 2026, Health Canada has issued a market withdrawal of Pfizer and Moderna COVID-19 LP.8.1 vaccines. Any remaining LP.8.1 vaccines in your vaccine fridge must be disposed of as biomedical waste. Do not return COVID-19 vaccines to Public Health.
- Public Health is anticipating delivery of the new COVID-19 formulation (Omicron XFG) for the upcoming respiratory season. Doses will be distributed as inventory is received from the Ontario Ministry of Health.
- Nuvaxovid, a protein-based, non-mRNA COVID-19 vaccine will be available this fall. To order Nuvaxovid, please call 311.
- Health Care Professionals who have not completed the Panorama Guided Workflow (PGW) onboarding process will not be able to receive COVID-19 vaccines. For questions related to PGW, email PanoramaGuidedWorkflow@Ontario.ca.
RSV prevention vaccine and products key information
- Due to delays in implementing the pharmacy adult bundle program, publicly funded RSV vaccines are not currently available at community pharmacies.
- LTCH and RH that will not be receiving an influenza auto shipment, can still order RSV vaccines. Any RSV orders that are received by September 25 and September 30 will be sent with the influenza auto shipment, at no cost to your facility.
- Any infant RSV product remaining from last year, that has not expired, can be administered once the program starts on October 1.
- Emerging evidence suggests Abrysvo® and Beyfortus® provide similar protection against severe RSV disease in infants. For those interested in an alternative approach, Abyrsvo® is also an effective option. Individuals should be encouraged to discuss options with their health care provider. NACI (external link) recommends that:
- Beyfortus® or Abyrsvo® may be used for infants at routine risk of RSV disease. Infants at high risk of severe RSV disease are strongly recommended to receive Beyfortus®.
- Abrysvo® can be given from 28 to 36 weeks gestation. Although Abrysvo® is authorised in Canada at 32 to 36 weeks gestation, this off-label recommendation from NACI is supported by safety and efficacy data and supports broader access and opportunities for immunization.
Vaccine delivery information
The auto-shipment delivery schedule for the fall vaccination campaign is as follows:
Auto-shipment delivery schedule
| Municipality | Auto-shipment #1 delivery date | Auto-shipment #2 delivery date |
|---|---|---|
| Halton Hills | September 30* | October 6 |
| Milton | September 30* | October 6 |
| Burlington | October 1 | October 7* |
| Oakville | October 1 & 2 | October 8 & 9* |
*Includes routine and high-risk orders
- Facilities must have a staff member present on site to receive their vaccine delivery between the hours of 9 a.m. – 4 p.m. Requests for a specific delivery time or date cannot be accommodated. Any vaccines not received by the facility will be returned to Halton Regional Centre and another delivery will be attempted the following week.
- Hospitals, long term care homes and retirement homes will be receiving all of their initial influenza vaccine from the first auto-shipment.
- Primary care providers will be receiving their initial influenza vaccines in two auto-shipments.
- Long term care and retirement homes that have a pharmacy partnership to offer influenza and/or COVID-19 vaccines will not receive vaccines from Public Health. The pharmacy will supply vaccines.
- Community pharmacies will be receiving influenza and COVID-19 vaccines from their vaccine distributor. Community pharmacies administering vaccines in LTCH and RHs will not be receiving influenza vaccines before October 13.
Additional resources
Updated resources and guidance for Health Care Professionals and the public will be posted to the Government of Ontario websites below in the coming weeks. Please refer to the links below for additional guidance when it becomes available.
- Respiratory Syncytial Virus – Information for Older Adults, Parents and Caregivers (external link), Ministry of Health
- RSV Prevention Programs – Information for Health Care Providers (external link), Ministry of Health
- Universal Influenza Immunization Program (external link), Ministry of Health
- COVID‑19 Vaccine Program (external link), Ministry of Health