COVID-19 vaccines

Withdrawal of COVID-19 XBB vaccines

All COVID-19 XBB vaccines have been withdrawn from the Canadian market per the regulator, Health Canada. No COVID-19 XBB vaccine doses should be administered after Aug. 31.

Any remaining supply of XBB vaccine must be quarantined, according to a recent memo from the Office of the Chief Medical Officer of Health. 

Supply of the new vaccine formulation is expected to arrive in late September. New clinical guidance and resources are expected to become available shortly.

Booking COVID-19 vaccines

Appointments can be booked through the COVID-19 vaccination portal or by calling the Provincial Vaccine Contact Centre at 1-833-943-3900. Eligible individuals can also book an appointment directly through public health units that use their own booking systems, Indigenous-led vaccination clinics, participating health-care providers and participating pharmacies.

Observation period

The National Advisory Committee on Immunization (NACI) recommends a 15-minute observation period following COVID-19 vaccination. If there is concern about a possible vaccine reaction, a 30-minute observation is preferred.

Eligibility to administer vaccines

Physicians, supervised medical students, nurse practitioners, registered nurses and practical nurses can administer the COVID-19 vaccine. The O.Reg. 107/96 under the Regulated Health Professionals Act, 1991 (RHPA) has been amended to allow pharmacists, pharmacy students, interns and pharmacy technicians to administer the COVID-19 vaccine. 

COVax: Ontario's COVID-19 vaccine administration application 

COVax is a real-time, web application that supports the planning and administration of COVID-19 vaccines in Ontario. All immunizers must continue to use this program to record doses of COVID-19 vaccine administered. This database can be accessed by authorized users from any device.

The Ministry of Health has a COVax service desk available to support primary care practices administering COVID-19 vaccines.

Vaccine administration errors 

In the event of a vaccine administration error, refer to the Ministry of Health’s vaccine guidance, which states that you should notify your local Public Health Unit. If the vaccine administration error results in an adverse event following immunization, complete Ontario’s AEFI reporting form and submit it to your local PHU.

Adverse Events Following Immunizations (AEFI)

All adverse events should be reported using the adverse event following immunization form to understand any effects of the COVID-19 vaccines in practice. This includes both immediate reactions as well as those that may appear days later. Adverse events should be reported upon first presentation, however, multiple reports per patient will be collated. Completed forms should be sent to the local Public Health Unit for investigation. Learn more about the reporting criteria.

Vaccine injury support program

The Public Health Agency’s new pan-Canadian vaccine injury support program is now accepting claims from individuals who experience a serious, permanent injury as a result of receiving a Health Canada-authorized vaccine, and those who are dependents or successions of an individual who has died after vaccination. This program is administered by RCGT Consulting on behalf of the Public Health Agency of Canada.

Medical-legal questions related to COVID-19 vaccination

The Canadian Medical Protective Association has an FAQ document on medical-legal considerations related to COVID-19 vaccination.

For other legal inquiries, please contact OMA Legal Affairs.