Help protect yourself from COVID-19 this fall and winter
What you can do to stay safe during the respiratory illness season.
As people move indoors, the risk of transmitting COVID-19 or any virus like the flu increases.
No one thing on its own is 100% effective at preventing the spread of COVID-19 but practicing public health measures provides the best protection. This includes:
- Wash your hands frequently with soap and water or sanitize them.
- Cough or sneeze into your upper sleeve or elbow, not your hand.
- Stay home when sick.
- Consider wearing a mask indoors, especially in crowded spaces where you can’t keep a safe and comfortable distance from others.
- Consider getting a COVID-19 booster, if eligible.
Vaccines help lower the risk of infection and work with your body’s natural defenses to develop protection against a disease. The COVID-19 vaccine is free and is available for adults and children over 6 months of age.
About the bivalent booster
If you’re 12 years or older you can get the bivalent booster.
The bivalent booster is an updated COVID-19 vaccine. It targets the original COVID-19 virus and the Omicron variant. This booster protects against the variants that are currently circulating in Ontario including the Omicron subvariants.
How to book an appointment
There are many ways to get the COVID-19 vaccine. Find a Peel Public Health vaccine clinic, pop-up clinic, school vaccine clinic, pharmacy, or doctor’s office in your neighbourhood.
