Toronto Public Health says it will not be administering flu and updated COVID-19 vaccines directly to the general public.
In a release issued on Thursday, the health service said that – due to provincial funding ending for mass immunization clinics last year – it will focus on providing vaccines to children under the age of four and younger as well as Torontonians who live in select high-risk settings.
As of December 2023, the City of Toronto permanently shuttered its four fixed-site COVID-19 vaccine centres, which provided a range of vaccines including routine immunizations for children.
As cooler weather breezes in, TPH is urging residents to get their vaccines against respiratory infections, adding that updated COVID-19 and flu vaccines will be available as of Oct. 28 to everyone over six months old who live, work or go to school in the province.
The initial doses of the updated COVID-19 vaccine – which targets the KP.2 subvariant of Omicron – is also currently available for eligible Torontonians who are at a higher risk, including those who are 65 years old or older, children between the age of six months to four years, pregnant individuals, and residents at long-term care homes.
Publicly-funded vaccines against respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) are also not currently being provided by pharmacies, TPH says, adding those who are at least 60 years old can speak to their healthcare providers if they wish to get it (at a cost).
Ontario’s health ministry introduced a new RSV prevention program for high-risk children and infants, offering pregnant residents (who are 32 to 36 weeks along) the vaccine through their pretnatal care provider. Infants born this year and next, and high-risk children who are no older than 24 months, can receive a monoclonal antibody treatment for immediate RSV protection – which TPH says is available at birthing centres, hospitals, specialty clinics and primary care providers.
Where to get flu vaccines
Though mass immunization clinics are no longer offered, there are still walk-in clinics, participating pharmacies and primary healthcare providers that provide flu and updated COVID-19 vaccines.
“Primary health care providers and pharmacies are essential partners in delivering vaccinations, especially during the respiratory illness season. Their accessibility, community trust and expertise make them vital collaborators in achieving widespread vaccine coverage for public health protection,” a spokesperson for TPH told CTV News Toronto in a statement.
Torontonians can book their eligible children for their vaccines through TPH’s online booking portal.
Children under the age of two cannot get a flu shot at a pharmacy, however.
For those who are at least 65, there are three different flu vaccines available to them this season: a standard dose that protects against four strains of the virus, an adjuvanted vaccine that protects against three strains and contains a substance that helps the recipient develop an improved immune response to the virus, and a high-dose vaccine, which protects against four strains, but at a higher dose.
Some local public health units will administer these vaccines, and Ontarians can refer to the province’s public health unit locator to determine which one they can visit.