Toronto Public Health is planning a mass vaccination event called “Vax The Northwest” at York University’s Aviva Centre on Sun, Jan. 23.
Booking appointments for the clinic opened today at 8 a.m. through the provincial vaccine booking system.
“Surrounding areas in Northwest Toronto around York, there are lower vaccine percentages than the city average,” says Alex Burke, spokesperson for the City of Toronto.
The event is a joint initiative between Black Creek Community Health Centre, Unison University Health Network and Humber River Hospital.
“We were looking at vaccination percentages in the communities that they serve,” Burke said.
Mayor John Tory said in a city hall briefing on Jan. 12 “Team Toronto is working tirelessly to raise vaccination rates across the entire northwest of the city to help blunt the spread of COVID-19 and the very transmissible Omicron variant.”
It is being promoted to residents living in Toronto Community Housing buildings. It will offer first, second, third and children’s (pediatric) COVID-19 doses.
“The clinic’s ace vaccinators are ready to go, with 1,000 appointments available and capacity to add more subject to demand. Health cards are not required to be vaccinated” the City of Toronto said in an announcement.
Burke feels that this is a good step in the right direction and important for the city to administer more vaccines doses.
“Every vaccination is an important one for us, and when people see members of their community, especially, community leaders getting vaccinated and talking about vaccination, which is what we’ve tried to do with our vaccine ambassadors, it increases the community comfort.”
Team Toronto has administered third does to more the 1.2 million Torontonians. This came a year after the opening of the first City of Toronto-operated proof-of-concept immunization clinic Jan. 18, 2021.
Vax the Northwest will take place at the Aviva Tennis Centre at York University, from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Jan. 23.