Toronto unveils details on COVID-19 vaccine rollout for kids

toronto kids vaccine — Toronto's public health agency has launched an advertising campaign aimed at convincing parents to vaccinate their kids. CITYNEWS/Tina Yazdani

By Mark Douglas, Michael Ranger

Posted November 10, 2021 3:15 pm.

Health Canada is expected to give the go-ahead to the COVID-19 vaccine for five to 11 year-olds before the end of the month, in the meantime a lot of parents are probably wondering what happens next when approval finally comes.

The City of Toronto is trying to ease some of those concerns by unveiling their vaccination plan for children.

According to the city, the upcoming kids vaccination clinics will be needs-based, data-driven, neighbourhood specific and equitable.

The city also says the clinics will be fun. Superhero logos and costumes will be one aspect of the campaign set to roll out from city hall according to Mayor John Tory.

“We want them to feel like they’re superheroes for getting vaccinated, because they are,” said Tory on Wednesday.

RELATED: Pfizer vaccine approved for U.S. youth aged 5-11. When can Canadians expect the same?

The city’s rollout, to commence once vaccines are delivered by the province, will include the five city-run mass immunization clinics, school-based clinics, hospitals, family physicians and more than 450 pharmacies across Toronto.

Using needs-based equity data analysis and population demographics, Toronto Public Health (TPH) have identified 30 neighbourhoods (see below) for the initial rollout of school clinics.

The data used to select the neighbourhoods considers COVID-19 infection rates during the fourth wave, as well as vaccine update from 12 to 17 year-olds in order to anticipate uptake among the younger cohort. The neighbourhoods were also selected based on the percentage of low-income residents and minorities in the area.

Councillor Joe Cressy, chair of the board of health, says there are 200,000 kids in the city they need to bring the vaccine to.

“Team Toronto kids will be the largest kids vaccination drive in our country’s history,” said Cressy. “And we are now ready to roll it out.”

Toronto’s Chief Medical Officer Dr. Eileen de Villa still excepts the doses for kids to arrive by the end of November, and she says children need the vaccine.

“Children in Toronto, specifically four to 13-year-olds, currently have the highest reported case rate out of any other age group in the city,” said de Villa.

While children are not well-known to develop as severe COVID-19 symptoms as adults, kids who catch the virus can still spread it to their families.

The province announced last week that plans have been made with all the public health units in Ontario, along with pediatricians, pharmacies, and primary care providers. Dr. Kieran Moore said there will be a kids vaccine clinic at, or near, at least one school in every health unit.

Consent forms will be distributed through schools and will be available online and in paper at clinics. Parents and caregivers will have to provide consent on behalf of a child before they can get a dose of a COVID-19 vaccine.

30 Toronto neighbourhoods for initial school-based clinics