On Sunday, December 12, 2,000 of Toronto’s youngest community health superheroes will have a chance to receive their COVID-19 vaccine at Scotiabank Arena as part of Toronto Kids Vaccine Day.
Mayor John Tory made the announcement with the Toronto Raptor and Carlton the Bear via video.
During this superhero-themed special event, Team Toronto will be deploying Toronto Public Health and The Hospital for Sick Children’s (SickKids) best vaccinators to make Toronto Kids Vaccine Day a success. These doctors and nurses are experts in speaking with children and caregivers about vaccines as well as providing child-friendly experiences for vaccination.
Thanks to Team Toronto’s partnership with Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment (MLSE) and Scotiabank, there will be giveaways, music and entertainment throughout the day. Team Toronto, led by SickKids, University Health Network (UHN), Michael Garron Hospital and Toronto Public Health, is working hard to make the day a fun, positive experience for children and caregivers.
Toronto Kids Vaccine Day will run from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. in the iconic home of the Toronto Maple Leafs and Toronto Raptors. The team will be vaccinating children ages five to 11 years old. Appointments are needed and can easily be made as of 8 a.m. this morning by calling the provincial vaccine booking line at 1-833-943-3900 or through the Province of Ontario’s How to book a COVID-19 vaccine appointment webpage.
Children must be turning five years old by the end of 2021 (born in 2016) to be eligible to be booked for an appointment. Parents and caregivers of children without an Ontario Health Card can call the Toronto Public Health hotline at 416-338-7600 (TTY: 416-392-0658) to obtain an ID to book an appointment.
Toronto Kids Vaccine Day is only one part of Team Toronto’s plan to make COVID-19 vaccines accessible to all Toronto families. There are many more COVID-19 vaccination opportunities across Toronto for children, youth and adults looking to get a first, second or third dose. Information about ways to get vaccinated are on the City’s COVID-19: How to Get Vaccinated webpage.
The COVID-19 vaccine has been proven safe and highly effective to protect children between the ages of five and 11 years old from contracting COVID-19. Vaccination also lowers the risk of severe disease or hospitalization. High levels of vaccination will also help prevent transmission of COVID-19 in households and schools, and preserve in-person learning and activities as people move indoors during the colder months. Toronto Public Health urges all parents and caregivers to ensure their eligible children get vaccinated to help protect children, their families, their schools and communities.
Parents and caregivers who have questions about the COVID-19 vaccine for children can visit AboutKidsHealth for trusted answers from SickKids experts.
The Scarborough Health Network Vax Facts consultation service can also address any questions or concerns about the COVID-19 vaccine.
More details about Toronto Kids Vaccine Day media opportunities will be shared closer to December 12. A high-resolution version of the Mayor’s video with Carlton the Bear and The Raptor is available for download.
Quotes:
“Toronto Kids Vaccine Day is all about bringing some of our city’s superheroes right into the exciting and inspiring Scotiabank Arena to get their vaccine. During the entire planning process of bringing the vaccine to kids, we have wanted to create a positive experience. Nothing says this more than being at Scotiabank Arena and in the presence of some of our city’s favourite mascots. This effort has been made possible from all of our partners who all share the same goal in getting our kids vaccinated to help protect them from COVID-19. I encourage parents to book their vaccine appointments for their kids and to come down to Scotiabank Arena on December 12.”
– Mayor John Tory
“Team Toronto is thrilled to return to Scotiabank Arena for Toronto Kids Vaccine Day. This time, instead of breaking a world record, we will be aiming to create the most fun and positive vaccine clinic experience for Toronto kids. One piece of our multi-pronged plan to make vaccines accessible for all families, this day will be a celebration of our young superheroes who are stepping up to get vaccinated and protect our city.”
– Councillor Joe Cressy (Spadina-Fort York), Chair of the Toronto Board of Health
“Thank you to all of our Team Toronto partners who are coming together for a full day of fun and accessible childhood COVID-19 vaccinations. We’re also thrilled to be back at the Scotiabank Arena to raise awareness about the importance of vaccinating five to 11 year olds in our city, and provide them the best protection available against COVID-19.”
– Dr. Eileen de Villa, Medical Officer of Health
“We are proud to be part of any effort to vaccinate people as it is a critical part of keeping the residents of Toronto safe. The last event at Scotiabank Arena was an exciting and memorable day. It is my hope that Toronto Kids Vaccine Day will play an important role in helping to educate parents about vaccines for their children, offer kids an exciting place to receive vaccination if that is their, and their parents, wish. We’re all in this together to protect our kids and continue to control the spread of COVID and minimize serious disease.”
– Dr. Kevin Smith, President and CEO, University Health Network
“All of us at SickKids are thrilled to support Toronto Kids Vaccine Day as a way to provide accessible, child-friendly COVID-19 vaccination for children aged five to 11 years old. Vaccinating your child against COVID-19 is an important way to help ensure their health and well-being. The COVID-19 vaccine approved by Health Canada for this age group is safe and effective. We hope this event encourages Torontonians to help us reach our next vaccine milestones in the fight against COVID-19.”
– Dr. Ronald Cohn, President and CEO, SickKids
“We are so honoured to be involved in Toronto Kids Vaccine Day at Scotiabank Arena. Our teams are sharing what we learned from our first Toronto Vaccine Day held in June, where Team Toronto vaccinated more than 27,000 youth and adults in one day. We are thrilled to support this new event designed especially for children with welcome added expertise from our partners at Sick Kids.”
– Sarah Downey, President and CEO, Michael Garron Hospital
“We look forward to coming together again as Team Toronto and welcoming the youth in our city for Toronto Kids Vaccine Day at Scotiabank Arena. Everything we have done to this point is to ensure the health and safety of our community, and MLSE is proud to be a partner alongside the City of Toronto, Toronto Public Health, University Health Network, SickKids, Michael Garron Hospital and Scotiabank to use our arena as the venue for the clinic. Since June 27, when we hosted the record-breaking Toronto Vaccine Day event, we have been able to open our doors safely to a full capacity of fans, and this is thanks, in large part, to everyone’s commitment to get vaccinated.”
– Michael Friisdahl, President and CEO, MLSE
“Building off the success of our record-setting Toronto Vaccine Day in June, Scotiabank is partnering with UHN, Michael Garron Hospital, SickKids, MLSE, Toronto Public Health and the City of Toronto to open the doors of Scotiabank Arena once again to the newest eligible group — our young people. Vaccines are, and always have been, our way out of the pandemic and we’re proud to be able to help get more of Toronto’s kids vaccinated against COVID-19.”
– Brian Porter, President and CEO, Scotiabank
Toronto is home to more than 2.9 million people whose diversity and experiences make this great city Canada’s leading economic engine and one of the world’s most diverse and livable cities. As the fourth largest city in North America, Toronto is a global leader in technology, finance, film, music, culture and innovation, and consistently places at the top of international rankings due to investments championed by its government, residents and businesses. For more information visit the City’s website or follow us on Twitter, Instagram or Facebook.
The image relating to this news release is attached.