Public Health is making it easier to get your free vaccines this summer with clinics happening across the province. Explore this page to find your vaccine eligibility and learn more about free, routine vaccination in Nova Scotia.
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Vaccines Work.
Make sure yours are up to date.
Throughout our lives, we may be exposed to many diseases. Most are mild, but some can cause serious illness and can even lead to death. Thankfully, vaccines can prevent or reduce the severity of many of these diseases.
Vaccines work by training your immune system to build resistance to specific infections. Some vaccines – called ‘routine’ vaccines – are recommended for almost everybody to receive at some point, and are given for free in Nova Scotia when people are eligible.
This page includes detailed information on which vaccines you need, when you need them and how to get them.
By getting vaccinated, you protect yourself and your community. Vaccination makes you much less likely to get certain diseases, spread disease to others and experience serious illness if you do get sick.
Where can you get routine vaccines for free?
Routine vaccines can be given by primary care providers, participating pharmacies and Public Health.
Public Health supports access to free, routine vaccines in Nova Scotia. This includes bringing vaccines into the province through our Provincial BioDepot and distributing them to providers, including physicians, primary care providers and pharmacists. We also hold clinics in our offices and in communities to ensure people have an opportunity to receive their routine vaccines and stay on schedule.
You can learn more about specific Public Health immunization services on the following pages, or by contacting your local Public Health Office.
Are vaccines safe?
Vaccines are safe, effective, and have saved more lives in Canada in the last 50 years than any other health intervention. Scientists and researchers spend years studying vaccines to make sure they work and are as safe as possible. Vaccines continue to be monitored for safety and effectiveness.
If you have questions about vaccine safety, you can speak to your primary care provider, pharmacist or call Public Health.
Immunization Record Requests
Vaccination records can be found online through VaxRecordNS. To access this site, visit yourhealthns.ca/records or go to the ‘records’ section of the YourHealthNS App.
You can also request a hard copy of your immunization records from Public Health, which will include all vaccines available in their system, excluding COVID-19 vaccines. Please complete this form and follow the instructions on the last page to submit your request.
Free Routine Vaccines in Nova Scotia
Many vaccines are given in childhood and set up lifelong protection, while some require additional doses later in life. Others are given to teens, adults and seniors when their risk for a disease is higher. People with certain health conditions are also eligible for additional free vaccines. Below, you will find vaccine information for each of these groups.
For more information, speak with a primary care provider, pharmacist or call Public Health.
- Routine Vaccine Schedule
- Vaccine Eligibility for People with High Risk Conditions
- Detailed information about each vaccine: www.immunize.ca
Babies and young children
In the first few years of life, free vaccines are provided to protect children from over a dozen diseases:
- Influenza
- COVID-19
- Diphtheria, Tetanus, Whooping cough (pertussis), Polio, and Haemophilus influenzae type B
- Rotavirus
- Pneumonia
- Meningococcal disease type C
- Measles, Mumps, Rubella, and Chickenpox (varicella)
Some of these, like polio, can be serious but are rare in Canada because vaccines have been very successful in preventing these diseases from being acquired and/or spreading. Other diseases, like pneumonia or whooping cough are more common but can be equally as serious. Vaccines help keep children healthy by preventing these diseases or making the infection milder.
Youth
Because of their age and activities, youth have different risk factors compared to children, so additional vaccines are offered for free in grade 7 to protect young people against:
- HPV (human papillomavirus)
- Hepatitis B
- Meningococcal disease types A, C, W, and Y
- Tetanus, diphtheria, and whooping cough (pertussis) booster (the “Tdap” vaccine)
These vaccines are given as part of the School Immunization Program. If missed, they can be received for free until the person turns 19. Youth should also continue to receive their COVID-19 vaccine as recommended. Youth who missed their grade 7 vaccines can call their local Public Health office to schedule catch-up vaccines.
The Meningococcal B vaccine is offered for free to certain youth aged 25 years and under who are moving into a large group living setting with other young adults for the first time, like a university dorm or residence. More information is available here.
Adults
People in Nova Scotia should continue to receive vaccines throughout adulthood to maintain their long-term health and wellness and protect their loved ones.
Vaccines given in adulthood include:
- Influenza vaccine
- COVID-19 vaccine
- Tdap booster vaccine
- Tetanus boosters (Td vaccine)
- MMR vaccine
The vaccine schedule outlines how often these vaccines should be received in adulthood. Tdap vaccine should be given in every pregnancy to help protect the baby once they’re born.
Seniors (65 and older)
As you age, infections may make you sicker and it may take you longer to recover and get back to the activities you enjoy.
The following vaccines are offered to adults aged 65 years and older to keep them healthier, longer.
- Enhanced influenza vaccine, which offers better protection for older adults.
- Pneumococcal vaccine, which protects against pneumonia caused by many strains of the pneumococcal bacteria
- Shingles vaccine, which protects against a painful rash caused by the varicella-zoster virus, the same one that causes chickenpox.
- COVID-19 vaccines as part of the spring program
Older adults should also continue to get tetanus boosters and COVID-19 vaccines.
Call 1-833-797-7772 to book pneumococcal and/or shingles vaccines by phone.
Book a pneumococcal and/or shingles vaccine online
People with High-Risk Health Conditions
People with certain risk factors are eligible for additional free vaccines because they are considered high risk for certain diseases. ‘High risk’ means you have health conditions or other risk factors that make you more likely to get a disease and/or have worse outcomes from that disease.
It’s important to know if you are considered to be at high risk so you can find out what additional vaccines are free and important for you to receive. Please speak to a healthcare provider, such as your primary care provider, your pharmacist or someone at Public Health if you have questions about whether you are eligible to receive vaccines for a high-risk condition and/or which vaccines you are eligible for.
People with health conditions or other risk factors in the following categories are eligible for additional vaccines:
Health Conditions:
- People with immune suppressing conditions, like cancers, HIV infection, spleen conditions, solid organ transplants, stem cell transplants, or conditions from birth, medications or treatments that lower your immune system.
- People with chronic medical conditions like liver disease, lung disease (including asthma and cystic fibrosis), neurological issues, kidney disease, diabetes, or hemophilia.
- People undergoing chronic treatments, such as salicylic acid therapy or repeated plasma clotting factor replacements.
Others at Risk:
- People whose age or circumstance increases risk, like youth under 26 moving into congregate-living settings, people living in long-term care or residential care facilities, and men who have sex with men.
- People who have health-impacting behaviours, such as smoking, substance use, or harmful alcohol use.
- People with high-risk sexual practices, or staff/volunteers of sex-on-premises venues.
Find a full list of available vaccines for people with high-risk conditions: Eligibility List
Helpful Resources
- Routine vaccine schedules
- Routine publicly funded vaccines and eligibility criteria
- Infographic: Vaccines for People Living with High-Risk Conditions in Nova Scotia
- Publicly funded vaccine eligibility for people at higher risk
- Contact the Halifax Sexual Health Centre for mpox immunization