News Release
June 21, 2021

Team Toronto has now administered more than three million doses of COVID-19 vaccine. The City of Toronto and all vaccination partners want to thank every person who has been vaccinated for their help in fighting COVID-19 and protecting their family, friends and the wider community.

The three million doses milestone is great progress for the city and its vaccination efforts. Toronto is the first local health region in Canada to administer more than three million vaccine doses. More than 75 per cent of Toronto adults have received a first dose of vaccine and more than 30 per cent of adults have now received a second dose. First and second dose vaccination rates are a key consideration in the Province of Ontario’s Roadmap to Reopen and tied to when Toronto can advance to Step Two of reopening, which will allow things like small indoor gatherings, haircuts and sport league play.

A second dose of vaccine is also the best protection against the COVID-19 Delta variant (B.1.617.2) that is more infectious than other strains of the virus. Recent studies have shown that two weeks after the second dose of COVID-19 vaccine, a person’s protection against the Delta variant is 50 per cent higher than one dose alone. Anyone eligible for a first or accelerated second dose is urged to book an appointment as soon as possible.

On Sunday, June 27 the City and Team Toronto are joining forces with Maple Leaf Sports Entertainment and Scotiabank to hold “Toronto Vaccine Day,” a one-day vaccination event at Scotiabank Arena. The team is hoping to get as many Toronto residents as possible vaccinated while setting a Canadian clinic single-day vaccination dose record in the home of the Toronto Maple Leafs and Toronto Raptors.

More than 10,000 additional appointments have been added to the provincial booking system for Sunday’s event. All people age 12 and older are eligible to book first dose appointments. Appointments will also be available for critical accelerated second doses for anyone age 70 or older, people who received a first dose Pfizer or Moderna vaccine on or before May 9 (as of Wednesday, people who received a first dose on or before May 30 will be eligible) and people who received a first dose AstraZeneca vaccine on or before May 1.

The best vaccine for a second dose is the vaccine that is available first. All vaccines administered in Ontario provide strong protection against COVID-19 and variants of concern. Mixing vaccines is safe, effective and enables more people to receive their second dose sooner.

Anyone who had Moderna or Pfizer for a first dose can safely take either Moderna or Pfizer for the second dose for strong protection. Both Moderna and Pfizer vaccines are authorized for use in Canada and use a similar mRNA technology, so the vaccines are safe to mix. This is consistent with recommendations recently provided by the National Advisory Committee on Immunization and with practices within several provinces. Both provide strong protection against COVID-19 and its variants.

Anyone who had AstraZeneca for a first dose can also safely take either Moderna, Pfizer or AstraZeneca for a second dose for strong protection. Getting a Moderna or Pfizer vaccine after the first dose of an AstraZeneca has been shown to provide a strong immune response, including against COVID-19 variants.

Appointments can be booked by residents 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.

COVID-19 is still active in Toronto. Since Friday, June 18, Toronto Public Health is reporting 251 new cases of the virus in Toronto, of which 80 cases are from earlier in the year and only added to the system this weekend. Since the start of the pandemic there have been a total of 169,335 cases of COVID-19. There are 554 people hospitalized. To date, there have been 3,496 COVID-19 deaths in Toronto. In total, 164,591 people have recovered. Case status data can be found on Toronto Public Health’s reporting dashboard.

Resources are available for anyone with questions about vaccination. To easily connect to resources including vaccine appointment bookings, information on vaccines and upcoming telephone town halls, Toronto residents can text “VACCINE” to 1-833-750-0888 or 833-750-0888 for more information.

Quotes:

“More than three million COVID-19 vaccine doses have been administered in our city. This is great progress. I want to thank every person who has stepped forward to do the right thing and get vaccinated. I also want to thank everyone who is working in Team Toronto vaccination clinics across the city to get people their first and second doses. This is the largest vaccination effort in the city’s history and it will ensure we can bring this pandemic to an end. So if you haven’t got your first dose yet, please get it and encourage your family and friends as well. If you haven’t got your second dose yet, don’t wait – book an appointment to get fully vaccinated to protect yourself, your loved ones and our progress fighting COVID-19.”

– Mayor John Tory

“Three million doses is a big milestone for our city. It wouldn’t have been possible without the tireless work of our Team Toronto partners – and the commitment of individual Torontonians, who have stepped up to get their shots and keep our city safe. We’ve made great progress, but we still need all hands on deck to get our city fully vaccinated. With scaled-up operations, community outreach and engagement, and opportunities like the Toronto Vaccine Day ‘Our Winning Shot’ vaccine clinic at Scotiabank Arena this weekend, we can do this, together.”

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

“Thank you to everyone who has gotten their vaccine and done their part to protect themselves and our community against COVID-19 and its variants.  Today’s milestone is a truly remarkable achievement for our city. You are making a significant difference and bringing us all one step closer to all of the things we love in our city. Let’s keep this progress going to help keep our community safe.”

– Dr. Eileen de Villa, Medical Officer of Health

“The fact that 3 million Toronto residents have now received their 1st dose of COVID-19 vaccine, some of which have received two doses and are now fully vaccinated, is simply outstanding. The City’s immunization Task Force will continue to make as many new vaccination appointments available as possible, so that we can achieve our goal of vaccinating as many people as possible, as quickly as possible. I continue to urge Torontonians to book their vaccination appointment today and join the 3 million residents who have already been vaccinated in an effort to help us beat COVID-19.”

– Fire 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