Team Toronto Kids continues to vaccinate some of the city’s youngest residents as quickly as possible. As of January 17 at 8:30 a.m., 133,630 doses of COVID-19 vaccine have been administered to residents between five and 11 years old. In less than two months, approximately 51 per cent of Toronto children in this age group have received at least one dose.
Toronto Public Health (TPH) continues to work with healthcare partners and school boards to provide as many vaccination opportunities as possible for residents five to 11 years old and their families. To date, there have been more than 520 school-based clinics held as part of the data-driven and needs-based plan to provide COVID-19 vaccines to children and youth between age five and 17 years old. Team Toronto held its first school-based clinics when the COVID-19 vaccine was first approved for residents 12 to 17 years old in May 2021. The school-based vaccination clinic strategy was further expanded to include residents between five and 11 years old once the vaccine was approved for this age group in November 2021.
The City of Toronto and TPH continue to work closely with Toronto District School Board and Toronto Catholic District School Board to arrange for additional school-based clinics in neighbourhoods where vaccination uptake has been lower. The school boards will reach out directly to families and the school community to share information about the clinics, once confirmed. While communication methods vary across schools, outreach efforts will include the School Messenger app, emails, phone calls, and/or posters.
The City’s VaxTO campaign has also increased its efforts directed at parents and caregivers of five- to 11-year-olds to encourage uptake in this age group by answering questions, providing information and dispelling myths through telephone town halls. In partnership with the Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids), the City hosted two virtual town halls in December. More than 101,000 residents tuned into the town halls with medical professionals from TPH and SickKids who provided information on vaccinations for five- to 11-year-olds and answered questions from the public. In addition, more than 400,000 phone calls were made to residents, connecting them to vaccination and booking information. Public health nurses also provided approximately 143 vaccine promotion sessions for parents and guardians of students between five and 11 years old, prior to the increase in cases due to the Omicron variant.
The City’s multilingual Team Toronto Kids advertising campaign launched in late 2021 and included ads in English and translated ads in French, Cantonese, Farsi, Italian, Korean, Mandarin, Portuguese, Spanish, Tagalog, Tamil, Russian and Urdu. When launched, the campaign use radio, digital, out-of-home and social media channels to reach as many Torontonians as possible. The campaign is still promoting vaccination in Toronto transit shelters, at Metro Hall and on social media.
On-the-ground efforts by the City’s network of vaccine engagement teams and community ambassadors also continue to inform and support parents and guardians of children five to 11 years old. These efforts include:
The COVID-19 vaccine has been scientifically proven to be safe and effective for children, youth and adults. The vaccines have undergone rigorous testing and approvals processes including from Health Canada and National Advisory Committee on Immunization (NACI). Vaccination is one of the key actions parents and caregivers can take to protect children as the Omicron variant continues to circulate in the community. More information on how to get vaccinated is on the City’s COVID-19: How to Get Vaccinated webpage
As the vaccination campaign progresses, TPH urges all residents to limit close contacts and interactions to household members, when not at school or work. Keep a six-foot distance from those outside your household and continue to wear a well-fitted, high-quality mask when indoors and when physical distancing is not possible. Residents with symptoms should stay at home and self-isolate, even if mild.
Quotes:
“Our Team Toronto Kids COVID-19 vaccination plan has already helped more than 51 per cent of kids get their first dose. Thank you to all the families who have already stepped forward to get vaccinated to help protect themselves, their schools, and the city. Our work to help kids get vaccinated is continuing over the coming weeks as we work to support the province and school boards keep in-class learning underway.”
– Mayor John Tory
“Since Team Toronto Kids launched in November, our priority has been to ensure that getting vaccinated is accessible for every family, in every part of our city. The equity-focused multi-pronged approach that includes our City-run clinics, school-based clinics, doctors’ offices, pharmacies, special event clinics, and extensive community outreach, has allowed us to reach 51 per cent of five- to 11-year-olds in under two months. Now, with schools resuming in-person learning, we are continuing to accelerate Team Toronto Kids in order to reach families in neighbourhoods with lower vaccination rates.”
– Councillor Joe Cressy (Spadina-Fort York), Chair of the Toronto Board of Health
“Team Toronto continue its efforts to vaccinate as many residents as possible, including some of our youngest superheroes. Through our equity-focused multilingual strategy, my team at Toronto Public Health continues to organize and host school-based clinics in neighbourhoods with low vaccination uptake. These school-based clinics continue to make it easy for families to get vaccinated near where they live, work and play, in a place where students and the school community are familiar and comfortable.”
– 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 contact: Media Relations, Toronto Public Health, tphmedia@toronto.ca