Last updated: May 1, 2022 at 1:25 p.m.
The City’s COVID-19 Immunization Task Force, which includes experts from Toronto Public Health, Toronto Fire, Toronto Paramedics Service and the Emergency Operations Centre, is actively planning to ensure the city is ready to deliver the vaccine when it is available. The Task Force is using lessons learned from our annual flu vaccine clinics and experiences from the H1N1 influenza pandemic in 2009 to inform plans. City’s plan and work with government and community partners are outlined in the City’s COVID-19 Vaccination Program Playbook.
All levels of government play important roles in delivering the COVID-19 vaccine to residents:
Toronto’s Accessibility Task Force on COVID-19 Vaccines was established in March 2021 as part of the City’s COVID-19 Immunization Task Force outreach efforts and TO Supports: Targeted Equity Action Plan. It was formed in response to the high health risks associated with COVID-19 for people with disabilities and the need for improved information on and access to vaccination. (Read the news release and backgrounder.)
The Task Force, a collaboration between the City of Toronto, community agencies and health partners, provides advice on enhanced support and access to COVID-19 vaccines for people with disabilities. It is one of the approaches being used to communicate, mobilize and engage communities most affected by the pandemic in order to address systemic inequities.
The Black Scientists’ Task Force on Vaccine Equity was created in December 2020 as part of the TO Supports: Targeted Equity Action Plan, as a response to data that continued to show that the highest rates of COVID-19 cases and vaccine hesitancy were among Black people of African and Caribbean origins.
The Task Force was created in partnership with the TAIBU Community Health Centre, to address Black community concerns and issues related to the COVID-19 pandemic, testing and vaccines, and is one of the approaches being used to communicate, mobilize and engage communities most affected by the pandemic in order to address systemic inequities.
The Task Force, which includes many of Canada’s top Black scientists involved in key aspects of vaccine development and Black public health, will review the major concerns and issues around COVID-19 testing and levels of vaccine acceptance, and develop public health recommendations to effectively address Black community concerns. The Task Force will present a final report of its findings and recommendations to the City by April 30, 2021.
Learn more about the Black Scientists’ Task Force on Vaccine Equity:
The work of Vaccine Engagement Teams (VET) is a key part of the City of Toronto’s COVID-19 Vaccination Program. VET’s focus on supporting equity-deserving groups that are disproportionately and most negatively impacted by COVID-19, including older adults who are isolated, people experiencing homelessness, people living with disabilities and mental health trauma, newcomer populations and racialized communities including Indigenous, Black and South Asian, that have historically experienced systemic oppression and exploitation from government and medical institutions.
Learn more about the work of Vaccine Engagement Teams.
In April 2021, the City of Toronto awarded $5.5 million COVID-19 Vaccine Engagement Teams Grants to more than 155 community groups and agencies. Indigenous organizations were given $1 million in funding to self-determine culturally-appropriate strategies for engagement in Indigenous communities.
In December 2021, $6 million of additional funding was awarded to continue this critical outreach to equity-deserving groups in high-priority neighbourhoods, to support efforts to achieve 90 per cent vaccination target, and to address the developing challenges associated with vaccine certification, immunization of children under the age of 12 and provision of third and booster doses to those who are eligible.
The chart below lists all participating community agencies, their respective cluster and their lead administrating agency:
Area / Focus | Agency / Lead |
---|---|
Black Creek Humber Summit | All Nations International Development Agency (ANIDA) |
Black Creek Humber Summit | Belka Enrichment Centre |
Black Creek Humber Summit | Black Creek Farm |
Black Creek Humber Summit | Black Creek Health Care Centre |
Black Creek Humber Summit | Caribbean African Canadian Social Services (CAFCAN) |
Black Creek Humber Summit | Centre for Immigrant and Community Services (CICS) |
Black Creek Humber Summit | Delta Family Resource Centre |
Black Creek Humber Summit | Elspeth Heyworth Centre for Women |
Black Creek Humber Summit | Jane/Finch Centre |
Black Creek Humber Summit | Northwood Neighbourhood Services |
Downtown East | Alliance for South Asian AIDS Prevention |
Downtown East | Building Roots |
Downtown East | Dixon Hall |
Downtown East | Focus Media Arts Centre |
Downtown East | Fred Victor |
Downtown East | Haven Toronto |
Downtown East | Homes First |
Downtown East | Inner City Health Associates |
Downtown East | La Passerelle |
Downtown East | The Salvation Army Shelters |
Downtown East | YMCA Greater Toronto |
Downtown East | Progress Place |
Downtown East | Regent Park Community Health Centre |
Downtown East | Sherbourne Health Centre |
Downtown East | Society of Sharing – Inner City Volunteers |
Downtown East | Sunshine Centre for Seniors |
Downtown East | The 519 |
Downtown East | The Corner/HASJT |
Downtown East | The Neighbourhood Group (TNG) |
Downtown East | Yonge Street Mission |
Downtown West | Alexandra Park Community Centre |
Downtown West | Alexandra Park Neighbourhood Learning Centre |
Downtown West | Cecil Community Centre |
Downtown West | CultureLink |
Downtown West | Evangel Hall Mission |
Downtown West | Fort York Food Bank |
Downtown West | Friends of Chinatown |
Downtown West | Friends of Kensington Market |
Downtown West | Parkdale Activity Recreation Centre (PARC) |
Downtown West | Parkdale Food Bank |
Downtown West | Parkdale Queen West Community Health Centre |
Downtown West | Scadding Court Community Centre |
Downtown West | Spadina-Fort York Community Care Program |
Downtown West | Stephen’s In the Field |
Downtown West | Surrey Place |
Downtown West | The Neighbourhood Group (TNG) |
Downtown West | Waterfront Neighbourhood Centre |
Downtown West | West Neighbourhood House |
Downtown West | Yonge Street Mission |
East York Don Valley | Afghan Women’s Organization Refugee and Immigrant Services (AWO) |
East York Don Valley | East Toronto Family Practice Network |
East York Don Valley | East Toronto Health Partners (ETHP) |
East York Don Valley | Flemingdon Health Centre (FHC) |
East York Don Valley | Health Access Thorncliffe Park (HATP) |
East York Don Valley | Somali Canadian Association |
East York Don Valley | Somali Women and Children Support Network |
East York Don Valley | The Neighbourhood Group (TNG) |
East York Don Valley | Thorncliffe Park Parenting Group (TPPG) |
East York Don Valley | Thorncliffe Park Women’s Committee |
East York Don Valley | Toronto Community Housing (TCH) |
East York Don Valley | WoodGreen Community Services |
East York Don Valley | Afghan Women’s Organization Refugee and Immigrant Services (AWO) |
East York Don Valley | Bangladeshi-Canadian Community Services (BCS) |
East York Don Valley | The Neighbourhood Group Community Services |
East York Don Valley | WoodGreen Community Services |
East York Don Valley | Working Women Community Centre (WWCC) |
East York Don Valley | Toronto Community Housing (TCH) |
East York Don Valley | The Neighbourhood Organization (TNO) |
North Etobicoke | Albion Neighbourhood Services |
North Etobicoke | Braeburn Neighbourhood Services |
North Etobicoke | Centre Francophone du Grand Toronto |
North Etobicoke | Delta Family Resource Centre |
North Etobicoke | Ghanaian Canadian Association |
North Etobicoke | Matthew House |
North Etobicoke | Rexdale Community Health Centre |
North Etobicoke | Rexdale Community Hub |
North Etobicoke | Rexdale Women’s Centre |
North Etobicoke | Rexdale Youth Mentorship |
North Etobicoke | Somali Canadian Association of Etobicoke |
North Etobicoke | Somali Women and Children Support Network |
North Scarborough | 42 Voices |
North Scarborough | Agincourt Community Services Association |
North Scarborough | Carefirst Seniors and Community Services Association |
North Scarborough | Centennial College |
North Scarborough | Centre for Immigrant and Community Services (CICS) |
North Scarborough | Chinese Cultural Centre Of Greater Toronto (CCCGT) |
North Scarborough | Frontline Community Centre |
North Scarborough | Hong Fook Mental Health Association |
North Scarborough | Malvern Family Resource Centre-co-lead |
North Scarborough | Malvern Food Bank |
North Scarborough | North American Muslim Foundation (NAMF) |
North Scarborough | SEAS Centre |
North Scarborough | Tamil Canadian Centre for Civic Action |
North Scarborough | The Canadian Centre for Refugee and Immigrant Health Care (CCRIHC) |
North Scarborough | The Housing Help Centre |
North York | Afghan Women’s Organization Refugee and Immigrant Services (AWO) |
North York | Bathurst Finch Food Coalition – Emergency Food Task Force |
North York | Bernard Betel’s Centre |
North York | Damavand Senior Persian Group |
North York | Filipino Canadian Community House |
North York | Flemingdon Health Centre |
North York | Forest Manor Residents’ Group |
North York | Friends of Parkway Forest Residents’ Group |
North York | Henry Farm Community Residents’ Group |
North York | Lawrence Heights Inter-Organizational Network |
North York | Lawrence Heights Parents’ Association |
North York | Madison Community Services |
North York | North York Community House |
North York | North York Toronto Health Partner |
North York | Oriole Foodspace |
North York | San Lorenzo |
North York | Toronto Community Housing (TCH) |
North York | The People’s Church |
North York | Unison Health and Community Centre |
North York | Vibrant Healthcare Alliance |
North York | Working Women Community Centre (WWCC) |
South Etobicoke | Arab Community Centre of Toronto |
South Etobicoke | Arts Etobicoke |
South Etobicoke | CASSA / SAVEC |
South Etobicoke | Central Etobicoke Hub Initiative |
South Etobicoke | Daily Bread |
South Etobicoke | Dorothy Ley Hospice |
South Etobicoke | ESS Support Services |
South Etobicoke | Etobicoke Services for Seniors |
South Etobicoke | Haven On the Queensway |
South Etobicoke | Humber College |
South Etobicoke | Jean Augustine Centre |
South Etobicoke | Lakeshore Arts |
South Etobicoke | LAMP Community Health Centre |
South Etobicoke | Mabelle Arts |
South Etobicoke | South Asian COVID-19 Task Force |
South Etobicoke | Stonegate Community Health Centre |
South Etobicoke | Storefront Humber |
South Etobicoke | Thornclife Park Parenting Group (TPPG) |
South Etobicoke | Victorian Order of Nurses |
South Etobicoke | Women’s Habitat |
South Etobicoke | Youth Leader of East York (YLEY) |
South Scarborough | Afghan Women’s Organization Refugee and Immigrant Services (AWO) |
South Scarborough | Agincourt Community Services Association |
South Scarborough | Canadian Centre for Immigration and Refugee Health Care (CCIRHC) |
South Scarborough | Carefirst Seniors and Community Services Association |
South Scarborough | East Scarborough Storefront |
South Scarborough | Feed Scarborough |
South Scarborough | Save Toronto Carnival |
South Scarborough | Scarborough Centre for Healthy Communities |
South Scarborough | Settlement Assistance and Family Support Services (SASS) |
South Scarborough | South Asian Women’s Rights Organization (SWARO) |
South Scarborough | The Housing Help Centre |
South Scarborough | Working Women Community Centre (WWCC) |
York Weston Pelham | Abrigo Centre |
York Weston Pelham | Access Alliance Multicultural Health and Community Services |
York Weston Pelham | Frontlines Youth |
York Weston Pelham | Jane Alliance Neighbourhood Centre |
York Weston Pelham | Macaulay Child Development Centre |
York Weston Pelham | Progress Place Hub |
York Weston Pelham | Shakespeare In Action |
York Weston Pelham | Syme Woolner |
York Weston Pelham | The Good Neighbour Project |
York Weston Pelham | Urban Arts |
York Weston Pelham | Weston King Neighbourhood Centre |
York Weston Pelham | York Fairbanks Seniors |
York Weston Pelham | York Hispanic Centre |
Black Resilience | Belka Enrichment Centre |
Black Resilience | Black Health Alliance |
Black Resilience | BlackCAP |
Black Resilience | Braids for Aids |
Black Resilience | Centre Francophone du Grand Toronto |
Black Resilience | Ghanaian Canadian Association |
Black Resilience | Margaret’s Toronto East Drop in |
Black Resilience | Scarborough Indigenous Wellness Advisory Council |
Black Resilience | Sickle Cell Awareness Group of Ontario |
Black Resilience | Uzima Women Relief Group |
Black Resilience | Women’s Habitat |
Newcomer | Access Alliance Multicultural Health and Community Services |
Newcomer | Adam House |
Newcomer | Canadian Centre for Victims of Torture |
Newcomer | Centre Francophone du Grand Toronto |
Newcomer | Christie Refugee Welcome Centre |
Newcomer | Matthew House |
Newcomer | Romero House |
Newcomer | Sojourn House |
Newcomer | Toronto South Local Immigration Partnership |
Newcomer | Access Alliance Multicultural Health and Community Services |
Newcomer | Afro-Carib Immigration Settlement Center Community Incorporated |
Newcomer | Albion Neighbourhood Services |
Newcomer | Belka Enrichment Center |
Newcomer | Centre francophone du Grand Toronto |
Newcomer | Jane/Finch Centre |
Newcomer | Northwood Neighbourhood Service |
Newcomer | Polycultural Immigrant and Community Services |
Newcomer | The Arab Community Center of Toronto |
Newcomer | YMCA of Greater Toronto |
South Asian | Alliance for South Asian AIDS Prevention |
South Asian | Bangladeshi-Canadian Community Services |
South Asian | Canadian Pakistani Association of Scarborough |
South Asian | Council of Agencies Serving South Asians |
South Asian | Punjabi Community Health Services |
South Asian | Settlement Assistance and Family Support Services |
South Asian | South Asian COVID 19 Task Force |
South Asian | South Asian Legal Clinic of Ontario |
South Asian | South Asian Women’s Rights Organization |
South Asian | Tamil Canadian Centre for Civic Action |
Accessibility | Centre for Independent Living in Toronto (CILT) |
Accessibility | Autistics for Autistics (A4A) |
Accessibility | Alliance for the Equality of Blind Canadians (AEBC – Toronto Chapter) |
Accessibility | Empowerment Council |
Accessibility | Ethno-Racial People with Disabilities Coalition of Ontario (ERDCO) |
Accessibility | North Yorkers for Disabled Persons |
Accessibility | Silent Voice Canada Inc. |
Accessibility | Surrey Place |
The Toronto Youth Vaccine Engagement Strategy was launched in June 2021 to establish youth-targeted equity engagement and mobilization actions, and encourage and enable vaccine uptake among vulnerable youth in communities disproportionally affected by COVID-19.
The strategy is part of the City’s Vaccine Engagement and Mobilization Plan and is a partnership between the City of Toronto and the Toronto Youth Cabinet — a City advisory body that promotes youth participation in municipal affairs and policy development.
The Toronto Youth Vaccine Engagement Advisory Committee (TYVAC) is a youth-led group made up of members of the Toronto Youth Cabinet and other youth leads to ensure engagement and outreach tactics are developed with a youth-friendly lens. TYVAC consists of three subcommittees:
Read the news release.
Read the 2021 Year-End Report.
Learn more about the Toronto Youth Vaccine Advisory Committee Members.
Youth-Focused Communications Guideline: In May 2021, youth aged 12-29 became eligible to receive a primary series of the COVID-19 vaccine. This presented a need and opportunity for targeted outreach and engagement initiatives that reflect the diversity of Toronto youth, and TYVAC launched the Youth-Targeted Communications Guideline. This resource was shared with community and health partners across Toronto and was integrated into the Vaccine Engagement Teams toolkit.
Read the guideline document.
ArtWorksTO Video Series: In partnership with the City of Toronto vaccine engagement partners, TYVAC supported the development of a ten-part testimonial-based video series. The video series aimed to reach and encourage vaccination to undecided Toronto residents. The video series provided an opportunity for the employment of youth by leveraging the creative expertise of young artists from ArtWorksTO.
Watch the video series (under Videos – COVID-19 Stories)
In January 2022, the City of Toronto awarded $450,000 to four youth-serving community organizations through the Toronto Youth Vaccine Engagement Strategy Grant. The following agencies were selected:
These organizations will work with the Toronto Youth Vaccine Advisory Committee (TYVAC) and Vaccine Engagement Teams (VETs) to enhance and develop citywide, youth-focused COVID-19 vaccine engagement strategies.
Team Toronto brought COVID-19 vaccination clinics to shopping centres and community clinics across Toronto for the City’s latest Shop And Vax campaign. Read the news release.
Vax And Ride brought COVID-19 vaccine clinics to 11 TTC subway stations across Toronto with no appointment or TTC fare required. Vax And Ride was part of Team Toronto’s equity-focused, hyper-local mobile strategy to make COVID-19 vaccines as accessible and convenient as possible. Read the news release.
The Vaccine Text Line connected residents with resources about the City of Toronto’s COVID-19 Immunization Program including appointment bookings, information on vaccines and upcoming telephone town halls. The service was available in 15 languages including English, Traditional Chinese, Simplified Chinese, Tagalog, Tamil, Urdu, Spanish, Portuguese, Farsi, Korean, Italian, French, Bengali, Vietnamese and Gujarati.
Vax And Read offered 45 COVID-19 vaccination clinics in 12 Toronto Public Library branches across Toronto. Read the news release.
Vax And Spring offered more than 20 vaccine clinics in neighbourhoods across the city. Read the news release.
There were more than 70 COVID-19 vaccine clinics across Toronto during the school March Break. Read the news release.
Many of the clinics were family-friendly and youth-focused to support a positive vaccination experience. Community centres hosting CampTO March Break programs made vaccination easy and convenient for participants.
Team Toronto brought COVID-19 vaccination clinics to shopping centres and community clinics across Toronto for the City’s latest Shop And Vax campaign. Read the news release.
Vax The East was a 10-day campaign to increase COVID-19 vaccination rates across Toronto’s east end. In total, Team Toronto vaccinated 3,127 people including 1,240 children age five to 11 during Vax The East. Read the news release.
The first two Vax The East clinics took place on the weekend of February 12-13 at Thorncliffe Park Community Hub and the Ontario Science Centre, focusing on the Thorncliffe Park and Flemingdon Park communities. Teams from the Toronto East Health Network / Michael Garron Hospital vaccinated 1,766 people, including 514 kids age five to 11 and 132 people who received their first COVID-19 vaccine dose.
In Scarborough, Vax The East offered pop-up vaccination clinics in schools from February 14-21. Pop-up clinics ran during the school day to vaccinate hundreds of students (with parental consent) and school staff. The clinics continued to operate after school until 7 p.m. to offer vaccines to families and the wider community. Team Toronto vaccinated 1,367 people including 726 students age five to 11 over the course of eight days.
On Sunday, January 23, Team Toronto administered first, second, third and children’s COVID-19 vaccines in Tennis Canada’s Aviva Centre at York University. The one-day event was for people of all eligible ages from Northwest Toronto neighbourhoods, with a focus on neighbourhoods with lower vaccination rates.
There were more than 1,000 openings for COVID-19 vaccinations by appointment or walk-in. Tennis Canada gave away tickets to the 2022 National Bank Open (August 6-14 at Aviva Centre). There were also kid-friendly activities, toy giveaways from Humber River Hospital and a “certificate of bravery” following vaccination for children ages five to 11.
Team Toronto reached out to neighbourhoods close to York University through community agencies and established COVID-19 Vaccine Engagement Teams and ambassadors to promote the event, remove barriers to vaccination and encourage people to get vaccinated.
Read the news release.
During the month leading up to the holiday season, Team Toronto put the focus on direct community access to COVID-19 vaccines at mobile clinics in shopping malls and community centres. Toronto residents were able to get their first, second or third dose (if eligible) of the COVID-19 vaccine while doing their holiday shopping or other errands at local walk-in clinics.
On Sunday December 12, 2021, many of Toronto’s youngest community health superheroes received a COVID-19 vaccination at Scotiabank Arena as part of Toronto Kids Vaccine Day. Team Toronto vaccinated more than 1,500 children aged five to 11 years old. The one-day-only special event aimed to ensure that young people felt safe and relaxed as they got their COVID-19 vaccine.
Toronto Kids Vaccine Day featured giveaways of basketball and hockey tickets and jerseys, as well as music and entertainment by KiSS 92.5’s DJ Clymaxxx and CityTV Breakfast Television host Devo Brown. Families were able to meet Carlton the Bear, The Raptor, Stripes and Duke the Dog, Paw Patrol characters Chase and Skye, and Toronto’s first responder mascot Sparky the Fire Dog.
From Thursday, November 11 to Sunday, November 14, dozens of mall and neighbourhood clinics across Toronto offered COVID-19 vaccination as part of the City of Toronto’s third Shop And Vax campaign. Read the news release.
Super supportive clinics operated in Etobicoke, North York and Scarborough from November 5 to 7, hosted by Toronto’s Accessibility Task Force on COVID-19 Vaccines, Toronto Public Health, the Accessibility Collaborative, vaccine engagement teams and ambassadors. The clinics were open to all, held in physically accessible locations, and accommodated specific needs such as:
Read the news release.
Vax And Treat featured 26 walk-in clinics from Thursday, October 28 to Sunday, October 31 at select malls, schools, hospitals and community centres.
Read the news release.
Vaccine walk-in clinics were open at six TTC subway stations from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. from Thursday, October 21 to Saturday, October 23.
Read the news release.
Shop And Vax 2.0 brought COVID-19 vaccine clinics to local shopping centres and pharmacies on Saturday, October 16 and Sunday, October 17. This campaign expanded on the first Shop And Vax, held in late September, by featuring pop-up clinics in local plazas and malls.
Shop And Vax 2.0 – which highlighted 24 clinics in malls and plazas across the city – was part of Team Toronto’s continued efforts to make COVID-19 vaccines as accessible as possible and to bring vaccines to where residents live, work and play.
Read the news release.
VaxGiving was one of the City of Toronto’s campaigns to encourage residents to get vaccinated against COVID-19. VaxGiving took place October 6-15, with vaccination clinics offered over the Thanksgiving long weekend. The City promoted clinics at TTC stations, malls, schools, community centres and libraries – places Torontonians live, work and play – open to anyone who needed a first or second dose of COVID-19 vaccine.
Read the news release.
On Saturday, October 2, 2021, Toronto residents born in 2009 or before were invited to get their first or second COVID-19 vaccine dose in their own neighbourhood. #Vax25 featured 37 vaccine clinics, with at least one clinic in each of the City’s 25 wards.
Read the news release.
#ShopAndVax was a focused initiative to bring COVID-19 vaccines to local shopping centres.
The campaign was part of Team Toronto’s efforts to make COVID-19 vaccines as accessible as possible and to bring vaccines to where residents live, work and play.
The City of Toronto partnered with Toronto Public Health, University Health Network, along with Cadillac Fairview Corp. Ltd. and Oxford Properties Group to hold a number of mobile clinics to support a low-barrier access for residents to get their first or second COVID-19 vaccine dose.
Read the news release.
Team Toronto delivered a city-wide series of pop-up vaccination clinics for first and second doses from Thursday, September 16 to Sunday, September 19, 2021.
Data shows that unvaccinated individuals are seven times more likely to become infected with COVID-19. Receiving two vaccine doses provides the best protection against the Delta variant, severe illness and outcomes.
Days of Vaxtion partners include Toronto Public Health, the TTC, Black Creek Humber Summit, Humber River Hospital, Michael Garron Hospital, North York General Hospital, Sherbourne Health, Unity Health, Scarborough Health Team and other community partners.
Read the news release.
Thank you, Toronto! Toronto Vaccine Day set a record with close to 27,000 vaccine doses.
On June 27, 2021, a total of 26,771 Torontonians joined the City of Toronto and Team Toronto vaccination partners at the Toronto Vaccine Day “Our Winning Shot” clinic at Scotiabank Arena. The total COVID-19 vaccine doses administered are believed to be a new world record for most one-day COVID-19 vaccinations given at a single clinic.
Total vaccines administered: 26,771
Total adults vaccinated: 25,476
Total youth vaccinated: 1,295
First doses: 981
Second Doses: 25,793
Records Set:
People attending the clinic were entertained by Kiss 92.5’s DJ Clymaxxx and Breakfast Television’s Devo Brown, with visits from Carlton the Bear and the Raptor. Fifty lucky vaccine recipients – one every 30 minutes – also won Toronto Maple Leaf or Toronto Raptor tickets for an upcoming game.
The “Our Winning Shot” clinic was made possible through a partnership between the City, Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment (MLSE), Scotiabank, University Health Network and Michael Garron Hospital. All partners want to thank the nearly 1,500 staff and volunteers that made the day a historic success.
Read the news release.