COVID-19 Vaccination Update – January 2022

ByBrad Bradford

UPDATE- January 21, 2022

VACCINATION CLINICS – JANUARY 24 – 30, 2022:

Thorncliffe Park Community Hub clinic (for children AND adults) (UPDATE)

  • Starting January 24, walk-ins at this clinic will be open to everyone aged 5 and older who live in any “M” postal code.
    • Walk-ins are open every day from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. There are 50 walk-ins per hour.
    • Appointments continue to be accepted. Book an appointment at covid-19.ontario.ca/book-vaccine or call 1-833-943-3900.
  • More info: tehn.ca/VaccineClinics.

Shoppers World Danforth, Gerrard Square and Eglinton Square clinics (for 12+ only)

City of Toronto to distribute COVID-19 rapid antigen test kits to community-based child care providers

The City of Toronto is working with the Province of Ontario to distribute rapid antigen tests to licensed child care programs in the community for use where a staff member, child care provider or child in care is showing symptoms of COVID-19.

Two rapid antigen tests will be allotted per staff member/care provider and infant, toddler and preschool child in care and are to be used when they present any symptoms of the COVID-19 virus and its variants. Children, child care staff members and child care providers will continue to be actively screened every day for symptoms upon entering a child care program, as has been the process throughout the pandemic.

VACCINATION CLINICS – JANUARY 17 – 23, 2022:

Starting January 17, the Thorncliffe Park Community Hub clinic (45 Overlea Blvd.) will start accepting walk-ins from specific eligible populations:

  • First and second dose eligibility: Open to individuals aged 5 and older who live and/or go to school in M1L, M3C, M4A, M4B, M4C, M4E, M4H, M4J, M4K and M4L. Individuals must be at least 5 years old at the time of vaccination.
  • Third (booster) dose eligibility: Open to individuals aged 18 and older who live and/or go to school in M1L, M3C, M4A, M4B, M4C, M4E, M4H, M4J, M4K and M4L. Individuals must be at least 18 years old at the time of vaccination.

Starting January 17, walk-ins will be accepted from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. every day. We offer 50 walk-ins per hour. Please dress appropriately for the weather as line-ups typically take place outside. Due to workforce capacity, there are a limited number of vaccinators at each of the clinics. They kindly ask for your patience as their team works as quickly as possible to vaccinate eligible individuals in a safe manner.

January 10, 2021

NOTE – Due to vaccine supply and availability, Moderna will likely be administered during your vaccine appointment with MGH/ETHP if you are aged 12 or older. The Moderna vaccine is as safe and effective as the Pfizer vaccine. In addition, it is safe and effective to mix vaccine brands, especially for your third (booster) dose. Both the Pfizer and Moderna vaccine will provide you maximum protection against COVID-19, including the highly transmissible Omicron variant. We strongly encourage you to accept the first vaccine brand available to you, regardless of the vaccine brand(s) you received for previous dose(s).

January 7, 2022

There are several COVID-19 vaccine clinics being operated by Michael Garron Hospital (MGH) and East Toronto Health Partners (ETHP) across East Toronto to ensure the community has access to the COVID-19 vaccine. 

THORNCLIFFE PARK COMMUNITY HUB

First doses, second doses and third (booster) doses for individuals aged 5 and older who are eligible available by appointment. Book an appointment.

Location: 45 Overlea Blvd., Toronto, ON M4H 1C2
Located on the east end of East York Town Centre. Enter the mall through Entrance 6 and take the escalator or elevator to the second floor. See a map of East York Town Centre.

Hours:

  • Open every day from 8:15 a.m. to 8 p.m. Registration ends at 7:45 p.m. – please arrive before this time to ensure you receive a vaccine.

SHOPPERS WORLD DANFORTH

First doses, second doses and third (booster) doses for individuals aged 12 and older available by appointment. Book an appointment.

Location: 3003 Danforth Ave., Toronto, ON M4C 1M9
Enter the plaza from Danforth Avenue or Victoria Park Avenue. Enter the mall using the entrance under the Lowe’s sign between Nature’s Health Food and Royal Shawarma & Kabob. The clinic will be located inside the mall to your immediate left.

Hours:

  • January 10-31: Open Monday to Saturday from 10:15 a.m. to 6 p.m. Closed on Sundays. Registration ends at 5:45 p.m. – please arrive before this time to ensure you receive a vaccine.

GERRARD SQUARE SHOPPING CENTRE

First doses, second doses and third (booster) doses for individuals aged 12 and older available by appointment. Book an appointment.

Location: 1000 Gerrard Street East, Toronto, ON M4M 3G6
Located on the south side of mall to the left of Freedom Mobile. Please follow the signage upon arrival.

Hours: Open every day from 10:15 a.m. to 6 p.m. Registration ends at 5:45 p.m. – please arrive before this time to ensure you receive a vaccine.

January 5, 2022,

There has been a lot of new information in the last few days regarding COVID-19 and the rapid spread of the Omicron variant. Most notably, new provincial restrictions come into effect today as Ontario moves into a modified Step Two of the Roadmap to Reopen – and will last for the next 21 days.

These measures include:

  • All publicly funded and private schools will move to remote learning starting January 5 until at least January 17, subject to public health trends and operational considerations.
  • Reducing social gathering limits to five people indoors and 10 people outdoors.
  • Limiting capacity at organized public events to five people indoors.
  • Limiting capacity at indoor weddings, funerals, and religious services, rites and ceremonies to 50 per cent capacity of the particular room. Outdoor services are limited to the number of people that can maintain 2 metres of physical distance. Social gatherings associated with these services must adhere to the social gathering limits.
  • Retail settings, including shopping malls, permitted at 50 per cent capacity. For shopping malls physical distancing will be required in line-ups, loitering will not be permitted and food courts will be required to close.
  • Personal care services permitted at 50 per cent capacity and other restrictions.
  • Public libraries limited to 50 per cent capacity.
  • Closing indoor dining at restaurants, bars and other food or drink establishments. Outdoor dining with restrictions, takeout, drive through and delivery is permitted.

For more information and a full list of new provincial restrictions, visit this webpage.

How this impacts City of Toronto services:

Starting January 5, indoor drop-in and registered recreation programs are cancelled. Outdoor ice rinks are open. Outdoor registered and drop-in skating programs continue. There is also the closure of non-essential counter services at City Hall and civic centres.

Update from Toronto East Health Network:

Effective January 5, only some of Toronto East Health Network COVID-19 Outreach Centres will offer PCR testing to eligible individuals. See if you are eligible to receive a PCR test, according to guidance from the Ontario government.

See updated information for each COVID-19 Outreach Centre. COVID-19 vaccines continue to be temporarily unavailable by walk-in at TEHN COVID-19 Outreach Centres.

Take-home COVID-19 PCR test kits

As per provincial guidance, take-home COVID-19 PCR test kits provided by MGH are now for symptomatic students and education staff who meet testing eligibility. Eligible individuals can pick up and drop off test kits at the MGH COVID-19 Assessment Centre or COVID-19 Outreach Centres.

You do not need an appointment to pick up or drop off a take-home test kit. Due to increased testing volumes and limited supply, availability of take-home test kits varies at these sites. It’s recommended eligible individuals pick up one take-home test kit at a time. Additional kits may be provided on a case-by-case basis. (For example, if a family has multiple children who need a test.)

FAQ about MGH’s take-home PCR test kits.

Take-home PCR test kit instructions in Amharic, Arabic, Bengali, French, Pashto, Slovak, Tigrinya and Urdu.

What to do if you believe you are a close contact of someone who has COVID-19.

December 24, 2021

The team at Michael Garron Hospital updated their vaccine strategy yesterday. There will be an equity-based targeted approach used to get vaccines to residents in specific area codes that have been identified as under-served. More information to come and will be updated here when available.

They confirmed that at this time, Moderna will be reserved for residents 30+ due to Pfizer supply chain delays.

The City of Toronto is continuing to rollout the Toronto Omicron Action Plan to stop the spread of the new highly-transmissible COVID-19 variant. The four-pronged approach includes increased vaccination capacity, continued outreach and support to residents, elevated emergency response and ongoing cooperation with other levels of government, particularly advocating for supports for residents and businesses.

Help Coming for Vulnerable Residents

Mayor John Tory announced that additional funding of approximately $1.2 million will be distributed from the TO Supports Investment Fund to continue supporting equity-deserving populations impacted by COVID-19.

The funding announced today will also help support the City of Toronto’s vaccine engagement teams’ (VETs) outreach efforts, as they and Team Toronto focus on the greatest needs within a swiftly changing landscape created by the Omicron variant and the rising number of COVID-19 cases. Read more about the TO Supports Investment Fund here.

With the rise in the Omicron variant and third vaccine (booster) shots available – getting vaccinated against COVID-19 is more important than ever. With new clinics and opportunities to get vaccinated being announced, I wanted to share these latest updates all in one place, so you can more easily find the reliable information you need to get vaccinated.

Below you’ll find updated information on vaccine eligibility, clinics, and local pop-ups. I’ll be continuing to update this page as further updates and clinics and pop-ups become available.

Big thanks to our hardworking healthcare professionals, and to each of you who continue to step up to protect yourself and those around you against COVID-19 by getting vaccinated.

VACCINE ELIGIBILITY

First and Second Doses

Anyone over the age of 5 is eligible to book an appointment for their first dose at any participating location. You can book these appointments through the Provincial online portal here or by calling 1-833-943-3900. You can also book an appointment at the Thorncliffe Park Community Hub, run by Michael Garron Hospital, by visiting their webpage here.

There are a number of pharmacies that are currently offering first and second doses for anyone at 5+. You can find a full list of these pharmacies on the Provincial website here.

Third Dose (Booster)

Anyone 18 years of age or older whose second dose was at least 84 days (three months) Ago is eligible for a booster vaccine.

Everyone is strongly encouraged to get vaccinated. Text “VACCINE” to 1-833-750-0888 for information about vaccines and how to get vaccinated.

WHERE TO GET VACCINATED

Toronto Public Health has a detailed guide on eligibility and where to book for a vaccine, available here.

If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to reach out to my office at [email protected]

About Brad Bradford - - -

Brad Bradford
Toronto City Councillor for Ward 19 Beaches – East York.