Additional Opportunities for School-Aged Children and Some Young Adults
To increase access to routine vaccines for school-aged children from 4 to 18 years of age (as well as some young adults; see detailed information under “Main Office Vaccine Clinic” tab below), TBDHU has planned Saturday vaccine clinics at the Main Office Vaccine Clinic and is offering vaccines for school-aged children at the TBDHU Vaccine Clinic at the CLE.
Saturday Clinics at Main Office Vaccine Clinic (by appointment ONLY):
March 25 from 10:15am to 1:30pm
April 1 from 10:15am to 1:30pm
Call the Vaccine Preventable Disease Team at 807-625-5900 and press 4 to book an appointment. Please read the information under the “Main Office Vaccine Clinic” tab below for additional details.
TBDHU Vaccine Clinic at the CLE (by walk-in):
Mondays: 9:00am-4:00pm, Coliseum Building
Wednesdays: 11:30am-6:30pm, Coliseum Building (Note: no clinic on March 29)
Before bringing your child to any clinic, call TBDHU at 807-625-5900 and press 4 to speak with a nurse to confirm your child’s eligibility and to discuss clinic options. Please read information under the “TBDHU Vaccine Clinic at the CLE Grounds” tab below for additional details.
Vaccine Clinic Locations
Please see the sections below for more information about the vaccines that are offered at these clinics. Before going to any clinic, call TBDHU at 807-625-5900 and press 4 to speak with a nurse to confirm eligibility and to discuss clinic options.
This clinic offers routine vaccines for school-aged children, boosters for adults who are pregnant or caring for young infants, and pneumococcal vaccines for adults 65+. This clinic also offers COVID-19 and flu shots.
All vaccines are offered on a walk-in basis; only COVID-19 vaccines can also be booked by appointment at this clinic.
Hours starting March 6, 2023:
Mondays: 9:00am to 4:00pm
Wednesdays: 11:30am to 6:30pm (Note: no clinic on March 29)
Location: Canadian Lakehead Exhibition, 425 Northern Avenue
All routine vaccines are offered at this clinic. This clinic provides a quiet and private immunization space for those who prefer this option to that of the larger vaccine clinic. This clinic is by appointment only.
Hours:
Wednesdays: 12:00-6:00 pm
Location: Thunder Bay District Health Unit Main Office, 999 Balmoral Street
Saturday Vaccine Clinics in February and March for School-Aged Children and Some Young Adults
The following Saturday vaccine clinics are scheduled at the TBDHU Main Office (999 Balmoral St., Thunder Bay).
March 25 from 10:15am to 1:30pm
April 1 from 10:15am to 1:30pm
Only school-aged children and some young adults can attend these clinics; see tabs below for more details on eligibility. These clinics are by appointment only. Appointments must be booked by calling 807-625-5900 and pressing 4 to speak to a member of our Vaccine Preventable Disease Team.
Children aged 4 to 18 years old can access routine school-aged vaccines at this clinic, as recommended under Ontario’s Routine Immunization Schedule. The vaccines that they will be offered will depend on age and other eligibility criteria. When you call to book an appointment, the vaccine nurse will work with you to determine which vaccines your child needs and how you can access them through TBDHU clinic options.
Over the last few years, some individuals may have missed opportunities to receive specific publicly-funded vaccines that have age or grade-based eligibility. In response, Ontario recently expanded the eligibility of who can receive specific publicly-funded vaccines as follows:
Human Papillomavirus (HPV-9) Vaccine: Students who graduated in the 2019/20, 2020/21, and 2021/22 school years (born in 2002, 2003, or 2004) have until August 31, 2023 to complete all missed doses of their HPV-9 vaccine series.
Meningococcal Conjugate (Men-C-ACYW) Vaccine: Students born in or after 1997 remain eligible for this vaccine until the vaccine is received.
If you believe that you missed publicly funded vaccines routinely given in school in the past few years, even if they are not listed above, please call 807-625-5900 and press 4 to speak to a vaccine nurse and potentially book an appointment.
Community-based pop-up vaccine clinics will be added below as they are confirmed. All vaccines are offered on a walk-in basis only at these clinics.
Date
Location
Time
Notes
Thursday, March 30, 2023
Confederation College - Shuniah Building
10:30am-1:30pm
COVID-19 vaccines will be offered, as well as routine vaccines for students who missed high school vaccines over the past 2 years.
Immunizations Provided at All Thunder Bay Clinics
The following vaccines are offered at the TBDHU Vaccine Clinic on the CLE grounds, at community vaccine clinics on a walk-in basis, and at the main office clinic. These vaccines are publicly funded and available for FREE to eligible individuals.
Before bringing your child to any clinic, call TBDHU at 807-625-5900 and press 4 to speak with a nurse to confirm your child’s eligibility and to discuss clinic options. TBDHU now has additional temporary clinic opportunities for school-aged children 4 years of age and older to receive routine vaccines. These include vaccines that are routinely given between 4-6 years of age, in Grades 7 and 8, and in high school.
If your child is now due for or has missed any of these vaccines, take advantage of our clinics to easily get your child up to date with routine vaccines. Go to the following links for more information on which vaccines are recommended for different ages:
Two boosters are recommended at this age and are required to attend school in Ontario:
Children older than 6 years old are still eligible for these vaccines if they missed them and should receive them as soon as possible; call TBDHU at 807-625-5900 and press 4 to determine if your child needs these immunizations.
Students who missed the vaccine clinic at their school should get caught up as soon as possible. Some vaccines given at this age are required to attend school in Ontario.
Before going to any clinic, call TBDHU at 807-625-5900 and press 4 to speak with a nurse to confirm eligibility and to discuss clinic options. Over the last few years, some young adults may have missed opportunities to receive publicly-funded vaccines that have age or grade-based eligibility. Ontario has temporarily expanded the eligibility criteria for some of these vaccines. Recent high school graduates who think they may have missed publicly funded vaccines that are routinely given in school should call 807-625-5900 and press 4 to speak to a vaccine nurse to see which vaccines they are eligible for, which may include:
Human Papillomavirus (HPV-9) Vaccine
Meningococcal Conjugate (Men-C-ACYW) Vaccine
Tetanus, diphtheria, and pertussis (Tdap) Vaccine
Before going to any clinic, call TBDHU at 807-625-5900 and press 4 to speak with a nurse to confirm your eligibility and to discuss clinic options.
Who is eligible
Pregnant people - It is recommended that all pregnant people receive a dose of Tdap (tetanus, diphtheria and pertussis) vaccine to help protect their developing babies against pertussis, even if they have already received a dose as an adult.
The ideal time to get a Tdap vaccine is between 27 and 32 weeks of pregnancy. This time frame allows for the best transfer of antibodies to the baby.
However, pregnant people can still get a Tdap vaccine at other stages of their pregnancy to help protect their baby.
Adults who are eligible for their next 10-year Td booster (tetanus, diphtheria) who have never received a Tdap vaccine as an adult should get a Tdap booster if they are caring for an infant now or in the near future.
Before going to any clinic, call TBDHU at 807-625-5900 and press 4 to speak with a nurse to confirm your eligibility and to discuss clinic options.
The Pneumovax-23 vaccine is recommended for those aged 65 and older if they have never received one before, as well to others who meet high-risk eligibility criteria. It protects against 23 different strains of bacterial pneumococcal infection, which can cause pneumonia.
Available by appointment or walk-in to anyone aged 6 months or older.
Can be co-administered with other vaccines, including routine vaccines and the flu shot.
Health Canada approved COVID-19 booster doses will be offered based on your age, eligibility and availability.
If it’s been 6 months or longer since the last dose, individuals can book appointments through the Provincial Booking System or by calling the Vaccine Provincial Contact Centre at 1-833-943-3900.
If it’s been less than 6 months since the last dose, appointments can only be made by calling 1-833-943-3900.
If you have had COVID-19 (i.e., you have tested positive on a PCR or rapid-antigen test), it is recommended to wait a minimum of three months before receiving a booster dose of the bivalent vaccine. Waiting six months may provide a better immune response. Find up-to-date guidance on receiving a COVID-19 vaccine after a COVID-19 infection by visiting Ontario’s COVID-19 vaccines webpage.
On a walk-in basis to anyone aged 6 months or older
For more information on other locations to get the flu shot, please visit Getting the Flu Shot.
Other Immunization Services Offered at the Main Office Vaccine Clinic
Other vaccines are available at our Main Office Clinic for those who DO NOT have a health care provider. Please call TBDHU at 807-625-5900 and press 4 to speak with a nurse about what vaccines are needed and to discuss clinic options. Please bring an Immunization Record (yellow card) if available. This clinic is by appointment only.
Additional vaccines that are available at our Main Office clinic include:
Please call TBDHU at 807-625-5900 and press 4 to speak with a nurse if you have any concerns or questions about these immunizations.
Referral to Community Provider for Children 2-18 Months of Age
TBDHU does not provide well-baby health assessments for children 2-18 months of age. Health assessments are routinely paired with immunization appointments. To support access to these health assessments, children 2-18 months of age who do not have a health care provider can be referred to a community provider. Call (807) 625-5900 and press 4 or 1-888-294-6630 to arrange a referral or speak to a nurse to discuss immunization options.
