Toronto ramps up vaccination efforts for teachers, students ahead of return to classes
Posted January 6, 2022 1:03 pm.
Last Updated January 6, 2022 1:04 pm.
The City of Toronto is ramping up vaccination efforts for teachers and students ahead of the planned return to classrooms on January 17.
In an update Thursday, Mayor John Tory said the City is opening four dedicated immunization clinics for Toronto school staff as well as more than two dozen school-based clinics for education workers, students and families.
Some Toronto Public Health staff will be redeployed to help run the clinics.
“Our school-focused vaccination effort is one more way that Team Toronto is working to help people get vaccinated and to bring this pandemic to an end,” Tory said Thursday, adding that the plan aims to get more than 3,500 education workers vaccinated.
So far, 92 per cent of 12 to 17-year-olds have had at least one vaccine dose and 88 per cent have had two doses, while 45 per cent of children five to 11-years-old have had their first doses, Tory said.
“Toronto Public health is doing everything we can to support our local school boards and the province in order for them to reopen schools and reactivate this essential activity for our young people,” added Dr. Eileen de Villa, Medical Officer of Health.
The province of Ontario pushed back the return to classes from January 5, until the 17th after surging cases fuelled by the Omicron variant.
