Health Professionals Update - Vol. 18, No. 25

September 29, 2025

From:
Hetal Patel, MD, MPH, CCFP, FRCPC
Associate Medical Officer of Health

In this issue

2025/26 Influenza and COVID-19 vaccine programs.
Register now for upcoming respiratory immunization webinar hosted by Peel Public Health.

Key messages

High-risk settings, including hospitals, long-term care and retirement homes, family health teams and pediatrician offices can now order influenza and COVID-19 vaccines.
Ordering for other healthcare providers will open October 9.
Physician-led clinics can onboard to begin administering COVID-19 vaccines.
Co-administration of COVID-19, influenza vaccine and RSV for eligible individuals is strongly encouraged
Administration to the general population will begin October 27.
Register now for an upcoming respiratory immunization webinar hosted by Peel Public Health.

2025/26 influenza and COVID-19 vaccine programs

High-risk settings, including hospitals, long-term care and retirement homes, family health teams and pediatrician offices can now order influenza and COVID-19 vaccines. Ordering for other healthcare providers will open October 9. Due to order volumes, processing may take approximately 3 to 4 weeks. Your patience is appreciated.

If you would like to begin administering COVID-19 vaccines in your office, please visit the COVID-19 vaccine clinic onboarding page for more information.

Co-administration of COVID-19, influenza, and RSV for eligible individuals is strongly encouraged.

Priority populations

Influenza and COVID-19 vaccines should be offered to priority populations as soon as the vaccine is available. This includes:

Staff, residents and care providers in congregate living settings (e.g. chronic care facilities, long-term care homes, retirement homes)
Health care workers and first responders
Adults 65 years and older
Pregnant individuals
Children 6 months to 4 years
Individuals in or from First Nations, Métis or Inuit communities
Members of underserved communities
Individuals with significant exposure to birds or mammals (at risk of Avian Influenza H5N1)
Individuals 6 months of age and older with underlying health conditions as per NACI Influenza and COVID-19

Universal Influenza Immunization Program (UIIP)

For the 2025/26 influenza season in Ontario, only trivalent formulations (TIV) will be used.

Influenza product eligibility by age group

6 months and older: Fluviral, Fluzone and Flucelvax (TIVs)
65 years and older: Fluzone High-Dose (TIV-HD) and Fluad - adjuvanted (TIV-Adj)

Product selection for adults 65 years and older

The TIV-HD and TIV-adj vaccines should be offered, when available, over TIV-standard dose (SD) influenza vaccines for adults 65 years and older. However, the TIV-SD, TIV-HD and TIV-adj all provide effective protection against influenza. Do not delay vaccination to wait for a particular influenza product.

For additional information and fact sheets: Universal Influenza Immunization Program.

COVID-19 vaccine program

The new LP.8.1 COVID-19 mRNA vaccines distributed this season provide stronger protection against current subvariants.

6 months and older: Moderna Spikevax
5 years and older: Pfizer-BioNTech Comirnaty

Novavax (Nuvaxovid), the non-mRNA COVID-19 vaccine will not be available in Ontario for the 2025/26 COVID-19 vaccine program.

Spring 2026 dose

Specific high-risk populations listed should receive an additional dose of COVID-19 vaccine in the spring:

Adults 80 years and older (strongly recommended) and adults 65 to 79 years (may receive).
Adult residents of long-term care and other congregate living settings for seniors.
Individuals 6 months and older who are moderately to severely immunocompromised.
First Nations, Inuit, Métis adults 55 years and older, and their non-Indigenous household members 55 years and over.

Adults aged 65 to 79 years may receive an additional dose in the spring. Certain individuals in this age group are at increased risk of severe COVID-19 disease and would benefit from doses in the fall and spring. For additional information and fact sheets: COVID‑19 vaccine program.

Register now: Upcoming respiratory immunization webinar hosted by Peel Public Health

Peel Public Health invites physicians and community health care providers to a webinar about RSV, COVID-19, and Influenza Immunization. Learn about the latest respiratory illness trends and immunization recommendations to support your practice and protect patients this season.

Respiratory Immunization Update 2025/26 October 8, 2025
6 to 7 p.m.
Virtual event via Microsoft Teams
Register

Peel Public Health clinics

Peel Public Health will be providing respiratory vaccine clinics with influenza and COVID-19 vaccine appointments available for infants and children 6 months to 4 years for a limited time. More information will be available shortly on the Peel Region website.

Contact us

The Health Professionals Update (HPU) is distributed to physician offices in Peel region via fax or email. Share this update with other health professionals in your clinic.

More information:

Review past HPUs.
Subscribe to HPU emails.
For questions about this update, email us.