Today, Mayor John Tory announced that more than 21,000 people have now booked Toronto Vaccine Day COVID-19 vaccination appointments at the “Our Winning Shot” clinic taking place this Sunday, June 27 at Scotiabank Arena. Toronto Vaccine Day partners continue to add appointment bookings for Sunday’s clinic and are talking with Team Toronto and other vaccine partners about going higher if possible. Team Toronto hopes to reach 25,000 bookings.
Mayor Tory also announced that in support of Toronto Vaccine Day, on Sunday, the TTC will be offering free rides to and from booked appointments at any vaccination clinic in Toronto. Riders taking transit will be asked to show proof of booking on the trip to their appointment and the confirmation of their shot will be their return ticket. Also, this Sunday, the TTC is extending free rides to anyone working at a vaccination clinic; workers only need to show employee identification for their free rides. Metrolinx is also joining the vaccination efforts by offering free travel to Union Station and the Scotiabank Arena vaccine clinic and back home again on GO Transit and UP Express for anyone with confirmation of a vaccination appointment. This offer is also being extended to staff and volunteers supporting the clinic (with appropriate identification).
With more than 21,000 appointments booked, Toronto Vaccine Day is on track to break the Canadian record for most people vaccinated at a one-day clinic – but Team Toronto vaccination partners aren’t slowing down. This morning, the Province of Ontario expanded eligibility for accelerated second doses to anyone who received a first Moderna or Pfizer vaccine dose on or before May 30. This expanded eligibility means 546,147 additional people are eligible to book an accelerated second dose appointment at Sunday’s “Our Winning Shot” clinic and other City-run immunization clinics through the provincial booking system.
More than 30 per cent of Torontonians have their second dose of vaccine. Getting a second dose is vital in Toronto’s fight against COVID-19 and the 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.
Toronto Vaccine Day appointments are available to all people age 12 and older to book first dose appointments. Second dose appointments can be booked by anyone who received a first Pfizer or Moderna vaccine dose prior to May 30 or AstraZeneca on or before May 1. Appointments are required for the clinic. 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.
The clinic will be administering primarily the Moderna vaccine, with very limited Pfizer doses reserved for youth ages 12 to 17 with confirmed appointments. The Moderna and Pfizer vaccines are incredibly similar with near identical efficacy rates. The “mixed mRNA model” (mixing Pfizer and Moderna for first and second dose) as well as a first dose of the AstraZeneca vaccine followed by a second dose mRNA vaccine is approved by both the federal and provincial governments.
The “Our Winning Shot” clinic is made possible through a partnership between the City, Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment (MLSE), Scotiabank, University Health Network and Michael Garron Hospital.
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. Torontonians can now also get information about the Toronto Vaccine Day clinic from the vaccine text line by texting SHOT to 1-833-750-0888.
Quotes:
“It is great to see thousands of people want to get their shot at Toronto Vaccine Day. We have worked to open up capacity to 25,000 appointments to help more people get vaccinated.”
– Mayor John Tory
“Our Team Toronto partners are committed to breaking down barriers to vaccination for everyone across our city – including getting to and from immunization clinics. That’s why on Sunday, June 27, in recognition of Toronto Vaccine Day and the Our Winning Shot clinic at Scotiabank Arena, the TTC will be free for people with appointments who are traveling to and from any clinic in our entire city. It’s one more step in our goal to get Toronto vaccinated.”
– Councillor Joe Cressy (Spadina-Fort York), Chair of the Toronto Board of Health
“Thank you to each and every resident who has stepped up and continued to do their part by getting their COVID-19 vaccine to protect themselves and our community. Your actions are making a significant difference! Let’s keep building on our progress so we can all get back to enjoying our great city together.”
– Dr. Eileen de Villa, Medical Officer of Health
“The TTC is proud to support our partners at the City of Toronto and our local hospitals as we work together to help everyone get through this pandemic as quickly and safely as possible. The sooner everyone gets vaccinated, the sooner we all get back to normal, and the TTC is honoured to play a part in the City’s ambitious vaccination plan.”
– Rick Leary, CEO, TTC
“Metrolinx is excited to offer free GO and UP rides to make it easy for people to get to and from the special Scotiabank Arena vaccine clinic. As vaccination rates ramp up and virus levels decline, Metrolinx is eager for transit customers to return and feel confident in the safety of its transit system.”
– Phil Verster, President & CEO, Metrolinx
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.