Toronto Public Health (TPH) will provide approximately 400 vaccination clinics in community schools across Toronto this summer in order to improve access to COVID-19 vaccines and vaccines for hepatitis B, meningococcal and the human papilloma virus.
Beginning next week, TPH will host approximately 50 school-based clinics per week. Clinic information is available on the TPH Appointment Booking System website (www.TPHbookings.ca) under ‘School Immunization Program Clinics.’ A health card is not required, and the vaccines are free and safe. Students can receive a COVID-19 vaccine at the same time as, or any time before or after, the other vaccines.
The summer clinics build on the hundreds of COVID-19 school clinics offered by Team Toronto over the past school year. TPH alone provided 386 COVID-19 vaccination clinics in schools since the vaccine first became available to residents five to 11 years old at the end of November 2021. TPH staff administered 23,823 doses at these school-based clinics, with 10,779 doses provided to residents five to 11 years old. This is in addition to the school-based clinics hosted by Team Toronto partners since eligibility was expanded to include this age group.
The TPH school clinics operated on a hub-and-spoke model, averaging approximately 12 school-based clinics per week. The host school acted as a “hub,” hosting the vaccine clinic at their school, providing COVID-19 vaccines during and after school hours. The host school also invited multiple surrounding schools (“spoke”) and their students, families and school communities to get vaccinated at the school-based clinic, after school hours. TPH also deployed vaccine clinics at schools where outbreaks were declared during the fourth wave in 2021.
TPH continues to offer hyper-local COVID-19 vaccine opportunities in areas where residents live, work and play. As of June 23, TPH and Team Toronto have administered more than 7.1 million doses. More than 92.1 per cent of residents 12 years and older have received the first dose, while 89.6 per cent have received both doses. Approximately 66.3 per cent of eligible residents 18 years and older have received their third dose, and more than 220,000 fourth doses have been administered across the city.
TPH is holding a number of pop-up vaccination clinics at special events across the city this long weekend. Information about location and hours of operation is available on the City of Toronto’s COVID-19: Pop-Up Immunization Clinics webpage: www.toronto.ca/home/covid-19/c
Residents can get vaccinated at City-run immunization clinics, primary care offices and over 525 pharmacies. A complete list of clinic locations and hours is available on the City’s COVID-19: Where to Get Vaccinated webpage: www.toronto.ca/home/covid-19/c
All eligible residents are encouraged to get their third and fourth dose as soon as possible. As with vaccines for other diseases, people are protected best when they stay up to date. COVID-19 vaccines have been scientifically proven to lower the risk of illness, hospitalization and death while protecting oneself, loved ones and the community. Residents with three doses had the lowest rates of hospitalization, ICU and death over any other level of vaccination. More information on vaccines is available at the City’s COVID-19: Vaccines webpage: www.toronto.ca/home/covid-19/c
Quotes:
“School may be out, but Team Toronto continues its efforts to help keep Toronto residents safe. By having clinics at schools throughout the summer, Team Toronto is able to bring vaccines right into communities across the city. We know from our public health officials that it continues to be critically important that all those eligible receive their full series of COVID-19 vaccines to help protect themselves and their loved ones. I encourage everyone who is due for an updated vaccination to take full advantage of these summertime clinics.”
– Mayor John Tory
“Toronto Public Health is bringing essential vaccines into our neighbourhoods so that people will have more convenient access to obtain the protection that these vaccines provide.”
– Councillor Joe Mihevc (Spadina-Fort York), Chair of the Board of Health
“School-based clinics are just one of many ways children and residents across our city got vaccinated with the COVID-19 vaccine, as part of our multi-pronged approach that also includes our City-run clinics, doctors’ offices, pharmacies and pop-up, mobile and hospital clinics. Thank you to my team at Toronto Public Health who has continued to prioritize children and youth to ensure that they have the best protection against the serious consequences linked to COVID-19, and to preserve the in-person learning environment.”
– Dr. Eileen de Villa, Toronto’s Medical Officer of Health
SOURCE City of Toronto
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