As of 11:30 a.m. today, more than 10,000 people have booked Toronto Vaccine Day vaccination appointments for the one-day record-setting “Our Winning Shot” clinic taking place this Sunday, June 27 at Scotiabank Arena. In response to demand, 5,000 additional Toronto Vaccine Day appointments are now available in the provincial booking system. With 15,000 appointments, Toronto Vaccine Day will be on track to break the Canadian record for most people vaccinated at a one-day clinic.
The previous Canadian one-day vaccination clinic record was set by Team Toronto partners East Toronto Health Partners (ETHP) and Michael Garron Hospital. On May 16, the partners held a 10,000-person clinic in Toronto’s Thorncliffe Park Community Hub at East York Town Centre.
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. The Team Toronto game plan is to get as many Toronto residents as possible vaccinated to set a Canadian clinic single-day vaccination dose record in the home of the some of Toronto’s favourite sports teams.
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 9 or AstraZeneca on or before May 1. As of tomorrow, anyone who received their first dose of Pfizer or Moderna prior to May 30 will also be able to book an appointment at this clinic.
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.
Appointments will be 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.
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.
Mayor Tory recorded a video message inviting Torontonians to be part of this record-breaking day. View the video on YouTube.
The video is also available for download.
Quotes:
“More than 10,000 people have already registered to get their shot at Toronto Vaccine Day at Scotiabank Arena. We are opening up more appointments so that thousands more people can get their vaccine in the home of our Leafs and Raptors on Sunday. Thank you to everyone who has signed up already and I hope more people will sign up in the days ahead as eligibility for second doses further opens up.”
– Mayor John Tory
“In just over 24 hours more than 10,000 people have already booked an appointment for Toronto Vaccine Day at Scotiabank Arena. It’s an incredible response. Simply incredible. We’re not only on a path to breaking the single-day 10,000 dose Canadian clinic record, we have a chance to crush it. To all Torontonians, you can still be a part this record-breaking clinic. Together, let’s get Toronto vaccinated.”
– Councillor Joe Cressy (Spadina-Fort York), Chair of the Toronto Board of Health
“This is a fantastic milestone for a positive partnership initiative. As more Torontonians receive first and second doses of vaccine, the better protection we all have as a city.”
– Dr. Eileen de Villa, Medical Officer of Health
“It’s incredible to see the appetite for vaccinations in our city. Clinicians from Michael Garron Hospital, hospitals across Toronto and primary care are stepping to get as many shots in arms as possible this Sunday. Vaccinations offer hope to all of us in the health system who have been working tirelessly throughout the pandemic to diagnose and treat those with COVID-19. The vaccine is the best tool we have to prevent COVID-19 from taking hold in the first place – it’s truly our winning shot.”
– Kevin Edmonson, Director, Emergency Department & Transitional Care, Michael Garron Hospital
“It is so encouraging to see the response to date. My thanks to Torontonians for taking up the challenge and let’s keep going so that we can protect our friends, family, ourselves and ensure that frontline workers have a break – because it has been a long and hard road through the pandemic for people on the front lines.”
– Kevin Smith, President and CEO, University Health Network (UHN)
“This response from our city is yet another example of the strength of Team Toronto as we work together to overcome the COVID-19 pandemic. We look forward to Scotiabank Arena playing an important role on Sunday in the effort to vaccinate a record number of people and protect our community.”
– Michael Friisdahl, President and CEO, MLSE
“With more than 10,000 appointments already booked, the home of the Leafs and the Raptors is well on its way to being home to a new single-day vaccination record in Canada. With thousands more appointments still available, let’s continue to book our shots, roll up our sleeves, and make history at Scotiabank Arena.”
– Brian Porter, President and CEO, Scotiabank
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