2026 Flu Shot Guide: Vaccine Dates by Province

Flu shot clinics are open or opening in every part of Canada this fall, with Ontario’s universal program starting Oct. 26, 2026, but start dates, eligibility and booking steps differ by province. Quebec, which now limits free shots to priority groups, is the main exception to the free-for-all rule.

Updated Oct. 31, 2026: Re-checked the provinces that had not posted firm dates. Manitoba’s vaccine finder page now says online booking for flu and COVID-19 appointments at Public Health immunization clinics is open (phone help: 1-844-626-8222, Monday to Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.), though the page does not state a season or a start date. P.E.I.’s vaccination page still refers to the 2025-2026 fact sheets and lists no 2026 clinic dates, so book through Skip the Waiting Room (1-844-975-3303) or ask your pharmacy. Yukon’s immunization page was last modified March 27, 2025 and gives no 2026 dates; call the Whitehorse health centre at 867-667-8864. Nunavut has not posted a fall 2026 influenza announcement. Updated Oct. 26, 2026: Replaced the Nova Scotia entry with details from the province’s own Oct. 8 news release, including the booking options, family booking, the enhanced vaccine for people 65 and older and the two-dose rule for young children. Updated Oct. 25, 2026 (second update).Added the timing in Manitoba’s 2026-27 provincial immunization plan, which says regional clinics can begin the week of Oct. 13. Earlier on Oct. 25: Ontario’s general-public flu shot start is tomorrow, Oct. 26. Added Quebec’s Oct. 13 campaign launch and reports of late, small vaccine deliveries to some Quebec pharmacies, plus a frequently asked questions section. Manitoba page rechecked Oct. 25: it still gives no province-wide start date.

The National Advisory Committee on Immunization (NACI), which advises the Public Health Agency of Canada, recommends the influenza vaccine each year for everyone six months of age and older. For adults 65 and older, NACI recommends a high-dose or adjuvanted vaccine over the standard dose when it is available. Any flu vaccine is better than none, according to Ontario’s health ministry.

The table below shows where each jurisdiction stood on Oct. 25. Details and booking links follow by region.

British Columbia

B.C. said influenza appointments begin Oct. 13, 2026, and more appointments will be added as vaccine arrives. The shot is free for residents aged six months and older. People registered with the province’s Get Vaccinated system receive a notification when it is their turn to book, with notices going out from October to November.

Anyone who has not been notified by mid-November can book online or call 1-833-838-2323. Children under nine who have never had a flu vaccine need two doses, four weeks apart. Children aged two and older can get a nasal spray version.

Alberta

Alberta said appointments for eligible Albertans begin Oct. 5, 2026. The flu vaccine is free to all Albertans aged six months and older. Children aged six months to four years book through a public health or community health centre, or by calling Health Link at 811. People aged five and older can book at myhealth.alberta.ca, by calling 811 or at a participating pharmacy, and many pharmacies take walk-ins.

The COVID-19 vaccine is handled differently. Global News reported on Sept. 28 that Alberta is limiting free COVID-19 shots to eligible groups and charging an administrative fee of $100 per dose for others.

Saskatchewan

Saskatchewan’s fall immunization program began Tuesday, Oct. 13, 2026. Free flu and COVID-19 vaccines are available to residents six months and older. Children aged six months to four years must be vaccinated at a public health clinic or office, or by a physician or nurse practitioner. Pharmacies serve residents aged five and older with a valid Saskatchewan health card.

Bookings run through the Saskatchewan Health Authority’s online system, which is open around the clock, or by phone at 1-833-727-5829 between 8:45 a.m. and 4:45 p.m., Monday to Friday.

Manitoba

Manitoba’s government encourages residents to get their free flu vaccine in the early fall. The standard-dose vaccine is free for everyone six months and older, and adults 65 and older are eligible for a free enhanced vaccine. International students and out-of-province visitors are also eligible, though an administration fee may apply.

Manitoba’s 2026-27 immunization program plan for health-care providers says regional public health clinics “can begin during this week” of Oct. 13, with timing set by each region, and that long-term care facilities should finish their programs by the end of October. The plan also says everyone six months and older in Manitoba is eligible for the COVID-19 vaccine, and that it is subject to change. The public flu vaccine page did not list a province-wide start date or clinic schedule on Oct. 23. It said the flu vaccine can be given together with other vaccines, including the COVID-19 vaccine.A flu and COVID-19 vaccine provider map shows pharmacies and clinics that offer the shot. Health Links-Info Santé can be reached at 204-788-8200 in Winnipeg or 1-888-315-9257 toll-free, and the Provincial Call Centre handles booking at 1-844-626-8222.

Ontario

Ontario’s high-risk and priority groups became eligible the week of Sept. 28, 2026. They include residents and staff in congregate living settings, health-care workers, first responders, adults 65 and older, pregnant women and children aged six months to four years.

Anyone aged six months and older who lives, works or goes to school in Ontario can get a free flu and COVID-19 vaccine starting Oct. 26, 2026. People should contact their primary care provider or pharmacy directly and call ahead to confirm supply. Pharmacies vaccinate ages two and up. Children under two can only be vaccinated by a doctor, nurse practitioner or local public health unit. Health811 answers questions around the clock.

Quebec

Quebec is no longer offering a free flu shot to everyone. The province’s vaccination page, last updated Oct. 13, lists free vaccination for people 65 and older, people six months and older with certain chronic diseases, and residents of CHSLDs and seniors’ residences. It also covers pregnant people with certain chronic diseases or who are 13 weeks or more along, household members and informal caregivers of high-risk people, and health-care staff.

People who are not eligible can pay for the vaccine at a pharmacy or clinic, and the price is set by the pharmacy or clinic. Appointments are made through Clic Santé or by phone at 1-877-644-4545, open 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. weekdays and 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. on weekends. The page did not state a campaign start date, but CTV News Montreal reported on Oct. 13 that the campaign had launched, with appointments available from the following Tuesday.

Some pharmacies are short of vaccine. Radio-Canada reported on Oct. 24 that some Quebec pharmacists said flu and COVID-19 doses were arriving late and in small quantities 11 days into the campaign. One Pincourt, Que., pharmacy owner said 223 of his 224 appointment slots through the end of October were booked, and Santé Québec said doses reach the province in three lots. Our report on Quebec’s slow vaccine supply has the details. If your pharmacy has no slots, try another through Clic Santé or call 1-877-644-4545.

New Brunswick

New Brunswick said on Oct. 2 that influenza and COVID-19 vaccines are available beginning Oct. 13, 2026, free of charge to everyone aged six months and older. Bookings are open through the government website or participating pharmacies, though not every pharmacy appears in the online system, so people may need to call.

FluMist nasal spray is available for children aged two to 17. Children can also be vaccinated through their primary care provider or local public health office.

Nova Scotia

The Nova Scotia government said in an Oct. 8 news release that flu and COVID-19 vaccines are free for Nova Scotians and recommended for everyone aged six months and older. Booking was open as of that date, and the province did not give a single start date.

Appointments can be made online through the province’s CanImmunize booking page, in the YourHealthNS app, by calling 811 or through a primary care provider. Family booking is available again, allowing one appointment for up to six people. If preferred times are full, the province said to check back in a few days because appointments are added regularly.

Shots are given by participating family doctors, nurse practitioners, pharmacies, public health offices and mobile units. An enhanced influenza vaccine is available to people 65 and older. Children under nine who have never had a flu vaccine need two doses, four weeks apart. Chief Medical Officer of Health Dr. Robert Strang said people at higher risk, including children, older adults and those with chronic conditions, should make immunization a priority.

Prince Edward Island

Flu and COVID-19 vaccines are free to people living on the Island, and a PEI health card is required. Health PEI said community vaccination clinics start in October 2026 in Souris, Montague, Charlottetown, Summerside and O’Leary, though it did not publish a specific opening day.

In a Sept. 28 news release, the province said the flu and COVID-19 vaccines are free to eligible Islanders through family doctors, nurse practitioners, community pharmacies and Public Health Nursing. Appointments are made through Skip the Waiting Room or by calling 1-844-975-3303.Pharmacies that offer the shot require a separate appointment. High-dose flu vaccine is offered to people 65 and older, and FluMist is available at public health nursing clinics for children aged two to 17.

Newfoundland and Labrador

Newfoundland and Labrador said on Oct. 14 that influenza and COVID-19 vaccination clinics begin Monday, Oct. 19, 2026. Both vaccines are offered to everyone aged six months and older, and they can be received at the same time.

The province strongly recommends the flu vaccine for adults 65 and older, people in congregate living settings, people with weakened immune systems or chronic conditions, pregnant people, Indigenous people, and children aged six months to five years. People can book at timefortheshot.ca, or check with their primary care provider or a local pharmacy.

Yukon, Northwest Territories and Nunavut

Global News reported on Sept. 28 that Yukon residents aged six months and older can book flu and COVID-19 vaccines at their local clinic, participating pharmacy or health centre.

The Northwest Territories health authority has begun posting fall clinic dates, Cabin Radio reported on Oct. 13. They include Fort Smith on Oct. 19, Nıdǫ on Oct. 28, Dettah on Oct. 29, a seniors-only clinic in Yellowknife on Oct. 30 and a Yellowknife clinic at the Lakeshore Co-op on Oct. 31. A young families’ clinic is planned for Nov. 1 at the Yellowknife multiplex, with more Yellowknife clinics in November. Dates may change, so check nthssa.ca. The flu shot is free in the territory for everyone six months and older, according to the territorial health department. Nunavut had not published 2026 flu vaccine details on the pages reviewed.

Frequently asked questions

When can I get a flu shot in Ontario?

Anyone aged six months and older who lives, works or goes to school in Ontario can get a free flu shot starting Oct. 26, 2026. Priority groups, including adults 65 and older, became eligible the week of Sept. 28.

Is the flu shot free in Quebec?

Only for priority groups, such as people 65 and older and people with certain chronic diseases. Others pay a price set by the pharmacy or clinic, according to the Quebec government.

Can I get the flu and COVID-19 shots at the same time?

Yes. Manitoba and Newfoundland and Labrador both say the two vaccines can be given together.

How many flu shots does a child need?

The B.C. government said children under nine who have never had a flu vaccine need two doses, four weeks apart. Other children and adults need one dose a season.

Related: fall 2026 COVID vaccine: where provinces stand, RSV season: who should get protected and free shingles vaccine: who qualifies in each province.

This article is based on official guidance from the Public Health Agency of Canada’s National Advisory Committee on Immunization and the provincial health ministries named above, and is provided for general public information. It’s not a substitute for medical advice, if you have questions about how this applies to you, talk to your doctor or pharmacist.

Related: Fall 2026 COVID vaccine: dates and rules by province

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Sources: PHAC, NACI seasonal influenza statement 2026-2027; B.C. flu vaccine; Alberta influenza; Saskatchewan fall immunization program; Manitoba flu vaccines; Ontario flu shot; Quebec flu vaccine; New Brunswick release, Oct. 2; Health PEI; Newfoundland and Labrador advisory, Oct. 14; N.W.T. Health and Social Services; Cabin Radio, N.W.T. clinic dates; Global News rollout summary; Nova Scotia government news release, Oct. 8; CTV News Atlantic.