News Release
May 21, 2021

Today, the Province of Ontario announced it is opening COVID-19 vaccination eligibility to anyone age 12 and older. The City of Toronto will be opening vaccination appointments for City-run immunization clinics to youth age 12 to 17 as of 8 a.m. on Sunday, May 23.

At this time, the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine has been approved by Health Canada and the National Advisory Community on Immunization (NACI) for youth age 12 and older. Those registering for vaccination appointments must be at least 12 years old at the time of booking. Youth do not need to attend a clinic with a parent or guardian as parental consent is not required to receive a vaccine, provided the healthcare provider administering the vaccine deems the youth capable of understanding the decision to be vaccinated.

All Torontonians age 12 and older are encouraged to book a vaccination appointment as soon as possible. Appointments can be booked through the dark blue “Book a Vaccine” button on toronto.ca/covid-19 or by calling the provincial vaccine booking line at 1-833-943-3900 (TTY 1-866-797-0007). When booking online, people are encouraged to input “Toronto” as their location at the scheduling stage to see the full list of clinics. To find the soonest appointment, click through the list of clinics with availability. Generally, clinics at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre, Toronto Congress Centre, The Hangar and Cloverdale Mall have the greatest appointment availability.

City-run clinics are part of the Team Toronto vaccination network that includes hundreds of clinics operated by hospitals, pharmacies and other healthcare and community partners. Toronto Public Health and The Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids) along with vaccination partners will also be expanding opportunities for youth vaccination in the coming weeks. More details on these initiatives will be shared by the City and vaccination partners as they become available.

A full list of eligible groups with information on where and how to register for appointments is available on the City’s COVID-19: How to Get Vaccinated webpage. Those seeking a vaccine appointment are also encouraged to register and check availability with healthcare partners through vaccineto.ca/, local pharmacies or healthcare providers.

For the current wave of COVID-19 in Toronto, amplified by variants of concern, staying home and following public health guidance is the best way to keep everyone safe. Please review the City’s COVID-19: Guide for Residents for public health guidance and information on what is and is not permitted under provincial regulations and City bylaws.

Quotes:

“We’ve worked with Premier Ford and the Province to open up eligibility in the booking system for young people 12 and up. This change will mean that anyone 12 and older can register to get vaccinated in our City-run clinics. We want everyone to get vaccinated, including our younger residents, so they can be safe and protected from this terrible virus. The sooner we are all vaccinated, the sooner this pandemic will be over. So please, if you and your family are not vaccinated yet book an appointment as soon as possible.”

– Mayor John Tory

“Our top priority is ensuring that every resident, in every corner of our City, who wants a vaccine can access one. It’s great to see the Province opening up eligibility to people age 12 and up, so that more people in our city can get vaccinated. I want to thank our Team Toronto partners, including hospitals, health care providers, and community organizations, in helping to spread the word and get our city vaccinated. And I want to thank all the Torontonians, of many different ages, who are stepping up and doing their part to help protect our city.”

– Councillor Joe Cressy (Spadina-Fort York), Chair of the Toronto Board of Health

“We know that vaccinating youth 12 to 17 years old is not only safe, but an effective step to decrease high-rates of community transmission of COVID-19. This is another important step to protect both youth and our entire community.”

– Dr. Eileen de Villa, Medical Officer of Health

“Expanding vaccine eligibility to those 12 and over is an important and exciting step in our continuing battle against COVID-19. Making it possible for youth to book their vaccine appointments will move us even closer to beating COVID-19 and getting back to all the things we all miss so badly.”

– Chief Matthew Pegg, General Manager of the Office of Emergency Management

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.

Media Relations