Vaccinate and Up-to-Date

Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV)

Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) is a respiratory virus that infects the nose, throat, and lungs resulting in cold-like symptoms. It usually starts spreading in the fall and peaks in the winter months. RSV infection can happen at any age but is particularly severe in infants and older adults, often leading to significant lung infections requiring hospitalization especially in those with underlying health conditions such as asthma, chronic heart or lung disease, and those with weakened immune systems.

Preventing RSV
A free RSV prevention program is available for all infants, high-risk children & high-risk older adults in Ontario.
In addition to the available RSV prevention programs you can protect yourself and reduce the spread of the virus by following a few easy steps:

Wash your hands often and avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth with unwashed hands.
Cover your mouth and nose when you cough or sneeze.
Disinfect high-touch surfaces in your home and workplace.
Wear a mask:

To protect yourself from viral respiratory illnesses.
To protect others at higher risk of severe respiratory illness.
When you’re recovering from illness.

RSV Immunization

Is my child eligible?

Your child will be eligible if they are:

born on or after April 1st, 2025 AND are less than 8 months of age
children up to 24 months of age who are at risk from severe RSV disease due to a health condition through their second RSV season due to specific health conditions, following discussion with a health care provider:

chronic lung disease of prematurity (CLD), including bronchopulmonary dysplasia/chronic lung disease
hemodynamically significant congenital heart disease (CHD)
severe immunodeficiency
Down Syndrome/Trisomy 21
cystic fibrosis with respiratory involvement and/or growth delay
neuromuscular disease
severe congenital airway anomalies impairing the clearing of respiratory secretion.

Where can my child be immunized?

RSV products will be available just before and during peak RSV season (October to end of March):

For newborn infants born in hospital during the RSV season: Beyfortus® is recommended before hospital discharge. Local birthing hospitals and midwives will provide the preventative antibody.
Eligible infants born before the RSV season can access the preventative antibody through their regular health care provider.
For high-risk children 12 to 24 months, the preventative antibody can be given by pediatricians, primary care providers, in hospital or outpatient clinics; please speak to your health care provider in these settings about the preventative antibody.

Where can I find more information?

Ottawa Public Health

Ontario Ministry of Health

For infants born on or after April 1, 2025 and are less than 8 months of age, without a regular health care provider, appointment bookings for the RSV preventative antibody are available through Kids Come First Vaccinate and Up-to Date Clinics.

Book here! Prendre rendez-vous !

Vaccinate and Up to Date: Routine Immunization

We know that in recent years, it has been difficult for families to obtain the routine vaccinations needed to protect children and young people from disease and keep them healthy.

That's why the Kids Come First Health Team's Population Health and Public Health Working Group has joined forces to give children and young people access to the care they need. The Children First Vaccination Initiative is here to make it easier for children and adolescents in the region to catch up on their routine vaccinations.

Families, caregivers and patients can now book appointments for routine vaccinations using the Kids Come First ClinicFlow booking page.

To book an appointment, your child or adolescent must:

Live and/or attend daycare or school in Ontario;
Require the recommended vaccinations;
Does not have a family doctor, pediatrician or primary care provider (PCP) OR cannot easily access their family doctor, pediatrician or PCP.

Please note that an Ontario Health Card is not required to book an appointment.

Book here! Prendre rendez-vous !

Where can my child be immunized?
Location/Region	Public Health Unit	Info/Website	Book an Immunization Appointment	Drop-in Immunization Options
Ottawa	Ottawa Public Health	Ottawa Public Health	Online Appointment Bookings	Neighbourhood Health and Wellness Hubs
Almonte, Brockville, Gananoque, Kemptville and Smiths Falls	Leeds, Grenville and Lanark District Health	Leeds, Grenville and Lanark District Health Unit	Online Appointment Bookings	n/a
Renfrew and Pembroke	Renfrew County and District Health	Renfrew County and District Health Unit	613-732-9436 OR 1-833-773-0004	n/a
Alexandria, Casselman, Cornall, Hawkesbury, Rockland and Winchester	Eastern Ontario Health Unit	Eastern Ontario Health Unit	613-933-1375 OR 1-800-267-7120	n/a

Why are these clinics so important?

In the Eastern Ontario region, there is a large backlog of missed doses of childhood vaccines for children under the age of 17. These vaccines protect against diseases like measles, mumps, rubella, polio, pertussis, diphtheria, tetanus, meningitis, and chicken pox.

Getting vaccinated will help keep children and families healthy and help prevent disease outbreaks. Staying healthy will also keep everyone in school, work, and play settings where they can thrive and grow.

Who is involved in this project?

Members of the Population and Public Health working group of the Kids Come First Health Team are healthcare providers and organizations who are working together to improve the health of the entire population while reducing the health inequities among population groups.

Together we are working with CANImmunize, an Ottawa-based technology company specializing in immunization software, to make it easier for families to book appointments for routine pediatric vaccinations and address the current vaccination gap.

Participating members include:

Centretown Community Health Centre
Ottawa Public Health
Somerset West Community Health Centre

Frequently Asked Questions

Can my child or youth go to a Kids Come First: Vaccinate and Up-to-Date campaign and use ClinicFlow if they already have a family physician, or pediatrician, or PHC-NP?

The Kids Come First: Vaccinate and Up-to-Date campaign was established to serve children and youth living and/or going to school or daycare in Eastern Ontario, and who do not currently have a family physician, pediatrician, or PHC-NP.

If your child or youth has family physician, pediatrician, or PHC-NP, please schedule an immunization visit with them.

Does my child or youth need an OHIP card to make an appointment?

No, your child does not need an OHIP card to make an appointment. If you have OHIP or another provincial health card number, please use it to register and bring the health card to the vaccine appointment.

Do I need to create another log-in to get an appointment?

No, you do not need to create a new log-in.

If this is the first time you are using ClinicFlow to book an appointment, a new patient file will be created for your child or youth. You will need to enter basic demographic information about your child or youth in the booking page to create this file.

When booking future appointments, you will only need to enter the same basic demographic information and ClinicFlow will “match” the new appointment with your existing patient file.

How do I book an appointment if I am bilingual or want to receive services in French?

A clinic name will appear in both English and French if they provide services in both languages.

Prendre rendez vous ici !

Do I need an appointment to visit a Kids Come First – Vaccinate & Up-to-Date clinic?

You do not need an appointment, but priority will be given to those with an appointment. To avoid waiting or having to return on a different day, please book an appointment online. It is really easy!

What if I don’t know or am not sure which vaccines my child or youth needs?

Don’t worry, that is what the Vaccine History Assessment appointments are for! These longer appointments allow time for clinicians to help parents, caregivers and patients review their vaccine history and figure out what vaccines are needed.

Newcomers to Canada and Ontario are encouraged to book an initial Vaccination History Assessment appointment. Please bring your child’s vaccine history card to the appointment. Please note that the vaccine history needs to be in either English or French. When possible, the clinician will administer the needed vaccines at the same appointment.

What if I am having trouble booking an appointment online?

If you are having issues booking online or have other questions, you can call one of the Public Health Units who will help to book your appointment.

Ottawa Public Health: 613-580-6744
Renfrew County and District Health Unit: 613-732-3629
Leeds, Grenville and Lanark District Health Unit: 1-844-369-1234
Eastern Ontario Health Unit: 1-800-267-7120

What is CANImmunize and ClinicFlow?

CANImmunize has developed ClinicFlow, which is an easy-to-use, best-in-class, end-to-end immunization system that allows parents to easily book appointments and send immunization information automatically to their public health unit.

ClinicFlow is a web portal. It is not an application, so people do not need to download an app. The ClinicFlow booking page for Eastern Ontario is here and the patient portal where families/patients can get their vaccine receipt is here.

ClinicFlow was successfully used by three provincial/territorial governments to support their mass immunization programs, including COVID-19 and Influenza appointment bookings and record keeping.

This is the first time public health units and local community clinics have worked together to use ClinicFlow for routine childhood vaccinations in this innovative way.

Click here for ClinicFlow product information: https://www.canimmunize.ca/en/home#clinic-flow

How is ClinicFlow related to CANImmunize app?

Parents and caregivers are encouraged to download the CANImmunize App. This will allow you to:

Have a simple way to keep track of all the vaccines that your child has received in the past.
Get reminded about upcoming vaccinations based on the provincial schedule to make sure your child is always up to date on their vaccines.
Easily show and share your child or youth’s vaccine history to health professionals.

Learn about immunizations and the disease they protect in the CANImmunize Knowledge Centre

How do I reschedule or cancel my appointment?

Once an appointment has been booked, you'll have the option to manage it via the email sent to your inbox. Follow the steps below:

Locate Appointment confirmed email in your inbox
Click "Manage My Appointment"
In the top right of the screen, you have the option to Reschedule or Cancel the appointment.

Additional Resources

Some children may feel uneasy or afraid of getting their vaccine(s), but there are a few resources that can help to ease their anxieties and improve their experience:

CHEO
Immunize.ca
- Pain Management During Immunizations for Children
- CARD Game for kids (interactive)
CANImmunize Knowledge Centre – Importance of Immunization for Kids!

Last Updated: 2023-09-06