News Release
January 16, 2022

Team Toronto has now administered a first dose of COVID-19 vaccine to 50 per cent of Toronto five- to 11-year-olds. This milestone means more than 102,000 children are now helping protect their families, schools and communities against COVID-19 and the highly transmissible Omicron variant.

Opportunities for children age five to 11 to be vaccinated are ongoing. With in-person schooling resuming tomorrow across Toronto, Toronto Public Health (TPH) has urged parents and caregivers to book appointments and have children vaccinated as soon as possible. More information on paediatric vaccines and Team Toronto Kids vaccination clinics is on the City of Toronto’s COVID-19: Vaccines for Children & Youth webpage.

To provide greater protection to children and wider communities, Team Toronto is also continuing to offer targeted vaccination clinics to ensure all priority groups have access to COVID-19 vaccines. Today, two additional City-run clinics are offering COVID-19 vaccines specifically to education workers. The City has worked directly with schoolboards to fill the dedicated appointments at clinics, ensuring vaccines are reaching this important group.

Also today, the City is supporting a vaccination clinic held by the Jamaican Canadian Association from noon to 6 p.m. at the Jamaican Canadian Centre, 995 Arrow Rd. in North York. The clinic will be administering first, second, third and children (paediatric) doses of COVID-19 vaccine. The clinic, focused on vaccinating people from Toronto’s Black, African and Caribbean communities will feature live music and also offer blood pressure and blood glucose testing. The clinic will welcome walk-ins with no health card required. More information is available on the Jamaican Canadian Association Facebook page.

Given the continued spread of the Omicron variant and ongoing community transmission of the Delta variant, TPH urges all eligible residents to get vaccinated as soon as possible, including getting a third dose. COVID-19 vaccines lower the risk of serious illness, hospitalization and death, while protecting oneself, loved ones and the community. More information on how to book a vaccination appointment is on the City’s COVID-19: Where to Get Vaccinated webpage.

Quotes:

“In just 51 days, Team Toronto has helped deliver COVID-19 vaccine to 50 per cent of Toronto kids. Now, more than 100,000 five- to 11-year-olds are heading back to in-person learning with greater protection against COVID-19. These kids truly are public health superheroes, helping keep their classmates, teachers and families safe. Thank you to parents and caregivers who have made sure they are vaccinated and their kids have been vaccinated. Team Toronto will continue to work tirelessly to help families stay safe and get this vital vaccine to our city’s kids.”

– Mayor John Tory

“As soon as vaccines for five- to 11-year-olds were approved in late November, we launched Team Toronto Kids – an equity-focused multi-pronged plan that includes our City-run clinics, school-based clinics, doctors’ offices, pharmacies, and special event clinics. In under two months, we are marking an important milestone of reaching 50 per cent of Toronto kids with their first dose. With schools set to reopen, Team Toronto isn’t slowing down. Urgent work continues in order to ensure that getting vaccinated is accessible for kids, their families, and education workers.”

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

“Team Toronto continues to build on our efforts over the last several months to provide as many accessible vaccination opportunities for residents to get their first, second and third doses. We continue to augment our team to continue to bring doses directly to communities, particularly those who require focused efforts and outreach to increase vaccine uptake. Vaccination against COVID-19 is one of the best measures of protection for our community overall, and I urge all residents to go get vaccinated, if they have not already done so.”

– Dr. Eileen de Villa, Medical Officer of Health

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